Such Great Heights
by libellus
Summary: Sometimes love comes from some of the strangest places. JNxOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Such Great Heights**

**Hello there! Welcome to Such Great Heights. Not going to babble too much but this my new PotC story, but not my first wander into this fandom, but issues made me pull down my stories. This one features my undoubtedly favourite character, James Norrington and an OC character, you'll get the gist of the plot line as you read through this chapter… thanks for reading and don't forget to review :D**

Commodore James Norrington was rarely shocked. Surprised maybe, but never shocked. It took a lot to shock him and this was surely one of the times he had been completely shocked. He wasn't even shocked when Elizabeth revealed that she was going to stand by Turner, even though she had accepted his proposal days earlier. He had suspected it; as she would not be one to truly back down from a cause she had dedicated herself to, though he was still rather upset and heartbroken when she decided to publicly reject him, in front of basically all of Port Royal. So getting a letter home from his parents was something that shocked him and immediately mad him feel suspicious of what his parents wanted.

_James, _the letter read.

_It has come to your mothers and my attention that you have not married and produced an heir. It is a Norrington tradition for every male in the family to marry and keep the family name honourable and noble. We can acknowledge now that you have achieved the goals you set out for yourself when you, your mother and I last spoke, with becoming Commodore of Port Royal. We must note that you have failed to marry a young woman on the island yet and we must say that simply, time is running out. With the fact that your brother, Anthony, has been struggling to produce a male heir, we now must leave it in your duty to provide the Norrington family another boy to keep the family line strong. And upon your failure to yet marry, we have decided to take matters into our own hands._

The Commodore raised his eyebrows. He was the second born son in his family and expected to go through life without too much pressure on him by his parents. It was his choice to join the navy in the first place as he often dreamed of sailing the high seas and capturing pirates just like his father. The news of being expected to produce the ongoing male heir to the Norrington family was a little bewildering. He hadn't received any news about Anthony not being able to provide an heir so he thought that his parents wouldn't find the need to harass him about marrying and then producing children.

_So your mother and I have decided that we must help you to find a suitable partner who will be able to provide the family with an heir. We would normally let you try to find your own wife, but upon your failure to marry earlier this year with the Swann girl rejecting your proposal and your hesitancy to start courting another one of Port Royals lovely young ladies, we will help you find a fiancée. Your mother and I have spoken too many of the families that were of the suitable station and deportment that would suit you and your social status in Port Royal. Many of the families were reluctant to send their daughters over to the Caribbean, but after a great deal of dealing and persistence, we have managed to find you a lovely woman._

If the Commodore was drinking tea, he would have surely spat it out. He was indignant that they were forcing a young woman across the ocean to a place she has never been to before to marry a man who she had never met before. The whole idea was rather repulsing to him. He never really supported arranged marriages and now he was in one. The whole proposal to Elizabeth came down to love, he really did love her. _Did, _he thought bitterly as his eyes wondered back to the last paragraph that his father had wrote.

_The woman in particular is Edith Reynolds, and her family is well known in London as her father runs a successful merchant shop. Her father is rather influential in the business circles of London and their family is very well off. Her dowry is rather large, and she is what most would say, a pretty looking woman. Miss Reynolds is twenty-five, only 4 years your junior and is in great health to bear several healthy children. She will be coming into Port Royal on the next ship that leaves after the one with this letter on board. She will also be accompanied by her parents and maid, who will be taken into your employment after your bride moves into your house. Your mother and I expect to hear of your wedding soon. Miss Reynolds will be carrying gifts from us which should hopefully help in the upcoming wedding._

_Mother and Father._

James' eyebrows nearly it the top of his wig, he knew that ship, the _Sapphire of the sea _was due in Port Royal in a week. He placed the letter among the other letters that he had received that day and removed the wig from the top of his head, running his fingers through his medium length brown hair. If the woman was twenty five, that meant in England she was becoming old enough to either become a spinster or governess and that the marriage was a last ditch effort for her to be tied to someone.

Standing up from the chair he had been sitting on for several hours, he moved towards the large French doors that led to a balcony. James walked through the doors and into the refreshing Caribbean breeze and leaned slightly on the wall as he gazed at the beautiful view that stood before him. The balcony of his offered one of the most beautiful views of the island, you could see the town, as busy as ever, up to the hills that made Port Royal a cove town. Then one could look to their right and gaze at the beautiful beaches, port and clear, blue ocean, which was a sight that always took your breath away. If you looked even more you could stare at the tall and mighty _Dauntless _and also peer at a tiny island that was uninhabited. It was a view that not many people would take for granted.

Breathing deeply, James assessed what he could do in the situation that he was in. Simply saying 'no' to the woman would not work as she would be stuck in Port Royal until the next boat for England left and then surely, something would happen between them. Another option was to hopefully convince her that there was a better husband out there on the island, a king's official or the owner of a large plantation and try to sway her into becoming involved with them. The next option was to take her as his wife and just ignore her as much as possible, only really trying when it came time for them to have children. The final and most sane sounding option was to marry Miss Reynolds, try to show her as much care and support as possible and then hopefully have them live peacefully together. What was the worst that could happen?

Edith Reynolds, he hoped, was an educated and smart woman. One who when he got home, would not bore him with talk about the latest scandal in town or the latest fashion that was from England but provide sufficient and interesting conversation. He did not care women who only prattled on about their looks and other topics that he held no particular interest in. He held hopes in his first few years, that somewhere on the island he would find a young woman who he would be able to take as his wife when he was lieutenant. But the longer he looked, the more he became disappointed. None of the women suited him, they would loud and wore garish dresses that always revealed far too much more than was proper. They would simper and bat their eyelashes at him until the cows came home and then would talk about their fathers and just how much money they owned. But the worst time was when he had recently become a Captain and he had several women who seemed to follow his every move, always following him from the fort into town or making sure to have a seat a few rows behind him during Sunday church services. It was then that they lost interest when he did not stop and immediately court one of them.

It was then his attention turned to Elizabeth, a beautiful, smart and witty young woman, who suited him, just fine. They spent many days together in the company of the governor and his affection toward the girl grew. He never one being in love before, felt true love towards the young woman and he decided to act upon it. It was soon that he proposed, using his promotion as a perfect time to show her what a perfect couple they would be, her being the governor's daughter and him being one of the youngest Commodores the British Royal Navy had seen. It was then after the 'Sparrow incident', as he liked to call it, that he realised that he was not truly in love with her and that he only felt brotherly affection towards her.

The sound of someone knocking on his office door pulled James from his thoughts and he turned around, walked back into his office, and left his thoughts of his new wife behind him.

**A/N: see that blue button? Yeah click it please and leave a review, any feedback is appreciated and don't forget to add this to your story alerts!**


	2. Chapter 2

Such Great Heights Chapter 2

**A/N: I apologise that it has taken so long for me to update, schoolwork has gotten in the way and I have been writing in short bursts of four or five sentences. But anyway! In this chapter we meet our OC! Yayyy! And to those who reviewed and favourited and put this story on story alert, I thank you! Your support is very welcome and I look forward to more reviews!**

It was a clear day, despite the foggy morning they encountered earlier. The bright sun was high in the sky and brought great warmth to the atmosphere that made one person feel like they were wrapped in a large blanket. The sun reflected off the ocean and brought out the beautiful Caribbean blues and greens in the deep sea. One struggled to tell where the sea ended and the sky began on the horizon and the light, salty breeze made the whole scenery just perfect. The sea was calm, gently rocking the ship on which a large crew of men called to each other and laughed boisterously, the beautiful weather giving them time to relax and enjoy simply being on the ocean.

The ship itself was a beautiful, brand new ship that was destined to be anchored in Port Royal and provide another ship to the growing naval forces that were based there. The wooden planks were polished to a high sheen and all of the delicate paintwork had not been chipped at all. The sails were a pure, clean white and all of the equipment that was scattered around the ship hadn't ever been used before. It was christened the _Challenger _before they left England and was going to be second to the flagship, the _Dauntless, _the ship Captained by Port Royal's commander, Commodore James Norrington.

_Commodore James Norrington,_ Edith Reynolds thought as she placed her hands and the railing and leaned over slightly to look at the dolphins that were jumping in the ships wake. She was soon to be his wife and she was not looking forward to it. Not even slightly. She had been a part of a deal between her parent s and his, so that they could marry off their second son. Edith had heard from a friend that the eldest Norrington son was unable to produce children and then that task fell to their other son. First, Edith was surprised, because she didn't even know a second son existed, they never talked of him. She then further learnt that he was a Commodore who commanded a naval base in the Caribbean town of Port Royal, and that he had not married yet.

Then, a few weeks later, Admiral Norrington, the Commodore's father came knocking. Edith was surprised to see the admiral at her door and it naturally made her curious. She had been hearing stories all week from ladies who she was forced to socialise with, that the Norrington's were going around and viewing young ladies who they thought were suitable to send to the Caribbean to bear their son's children. Edith had been summoned by her father and Admiral Norrington and his wife were sitting in the parlour, carefully examining her. She was asked several questions about what she liked doing and her interests, and in turn Edith gave polite answers and tried not to come across as the perfect candidate for a Commodore's wife. After they left, her father asked if she would be comfortable moving so far away from them. Edith in reply said no, saying that she wanted to stay in England, despite not really knowing what to do with herself as she was not married nor courting, she then said that she would become a governess and teach those who were unlucky enough to learn the basics they needed to know, such as reading.

But, after a rather long fight about how a lady should conduct herself and act around others, her father left in a huff and Edith to her thoughts. After another fight with her mother about how they dictated her life so much, Edith was rather fed up with the whole idea of her parents making decisions for her. It was a few weeks later after the Norrington's sent their son a letter saying they had chosen a wife for him, did they set off for Port Royal. His parents were accompanying her, as they wanted to be there when their son met his wife. The first few weeks had been torture, with Edith constantly cursing her father and mother, for not wanting to have any responsibility for her and sending her overseas.

Edith had reached the appropriate age to be courted several years ago, but she was not one who stood out in London's large social circles. Rather than being surrounded by hordes of men and commanding their attention for every waking moment, she was left alone, usually with only one or two men showing interest, before becoming quickly bored of her quiet and awkward mantra. And whenever a suitor would come and call on her, when she had one, Edith would always be found with some type of book that usually turned out more interesting than the men that her parents forced upon her. She soon came to where she was being sent over the ocean into the house of a man she had never met before.

Edith did not know anything about the Commodore. His parents weren't any help as they said he was a quiet child and left the family at fifteen to start making a living for himself, and they very rarely either sent or received correspondence from him. But from what she knew about naval officers were that they were very showy, stuck up and treated their wives like animals to be paraded around. Most were shallow, conceited and only ever thought about two things the navy and what to do next with their wives. And she was expecting her future husband, if his mother was anything to go by as his father was a rather sedate man, would be haughty and very shallow.

She would try to distance herself from the man as much as possible when in private, but somehow she would have to manage to be the perfect wife for the Commodore in the public. She would do her duty, provide the commodore with children and then raise them for him before they were taught by someone else, but keep her distance from the man as much as possible.

Edith was soon pulled from her thoughts as someone called her name "Miss, the Admiral and Mrs Norrington wish to see you." said a lieutenant who was standing slightly behind her.

"Thank-you sir" Edith said as she gathered her skirts and moved slowly on the gently swaying ship, despite being on the sea for nearly three months, she had not acquired her sea legs. She moved to where the second lieutenants cabin, where the Norrington's had spent their trip while she slept by herself in the third lieutenants cabin.

She knocked on the door and waited until a deep voice was heard though the thick wood "enter" it rumbled and Edith pushed the door open. Sitting on the small couch that was in the small cabin were the Norrington's, who did not show any emotion on their faces.

"Please sit" Admiral Norrington said, his hand sweeping towards the only chair that sat available in the room. Perching herself on the edge of the chair, Edith pushed her hair from her face and gave the Norrington's her full attention.

"The captain told us that we will be landing in Port Royal in about a weeks' time." Admiral Norrington spoke softly.

"Oh that is…" Edith trailed off, not knowing how to express her feelings about the marriage in front of her future husband's parents.

"Yes, yes my dear, wonderful!" Mrs Norrington said with critical eyes and a sarcastic tone. "when we get there, it will be straight into getting that wedding dress your mother gave you… it will need a bit of fixing though, it looks decades old." She paused and sent a smug smile which her husband missed. "And we'll also get straight into planning the day, which should be in about in a months' time. I'm sure James will be more than happy with the arrangements." Another smile "I'm sure he has been looking forward to seeing such a beautiful woman in such a place like Port Royal."

Knowing that she would not be able to give the snarky reply that she would give in return, Edith locked her jaw and turned her head, staring out of the small window on the side of the ship.

"Yes though, he has always been so swept up in his naval work, just like his father" at that Mrs Norrington turned to her husband and smiled sickeningly. "But I'm sure that he'll find you to be a sufficient wife, able to produce many children."

"Of course Madam Norrington" was all Edith could say, bowing her head trying to hide the ever growing frustration and anger.

"You may leave now Ms Reynolds" she said, waving her hand dismissively and returning to a pile of wool sitting on her lap.

Moving out of the room, Edith let the mask she had placed on her face melt away as she walked to her quarters and let the anger take over. Moving into the room Edith growled and went to slam the door behind her, but she noticed that there was another person standing in the room, her expression terrified.

"Oh-oh sorry miss, I'll just get moving" stuttered Emma, her maid as she quickly smoothed the sheets.

Emma had been her maid since Edith was first debuted as her father thought that a fresh young woman would know many more techniques and stuff so that his daughter was as beautiful as possible. Emma was only a few years older than her and she had become a maid to help support her family, after a few months, the two young women became fast friends and someone who Edith would talk to when she needed support.

"No, don't bother Emma. I've just had a bad morning." Edith sighed as she sat down in a chair.

"Would you like to talk about it, Miss?"

"No… I mean yes" Edith stopped herself before she could possibly offend the maid, despite the fact that she would not show it. "It's just that Madam Norrington is… is impossible! I dread to think what her son is like, probably worse than her. She wants to get fix up grandmother's dress! I don't even know why I am here!" Edith whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

"Oh don't worry Miss" Emma said as she moved and put her hand on Edith's shoulder. "There is no need for your grandmother's dress to be fixed; it is already very, very beautiful dress. And I'm sure that Commodore Norrington could not possibly be like his mother, he would have some qualities of his father and he is not so bad. It's going to be wonderful, moving to such an exotic place."

"I don't know I just don't want to do this." Edith whispered as Emma moved to pull her into an embrace.

"It'll get better Miss, you can count on that."

**A/N 2: don't forget to review guys I want your opinion! It is awesome when you do and you'll have a faster update! **


	3. Chapter 3

Such Great Heights Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi, I'm back! It has been a busy week, as I am being swamped with assignments as I have a four week long program in the city. You people are awesome! Thanks for the lovely and encouraging reviews that you have left me, I really do appreciate it. I was so relieved to hear that you liked Edith! And in return for your reviews and story alerts and favourites, I have finished another chapter for you! **

James Norrington moved through the fort, saluting those who were still on the early morning shift of watch and made his way down to the forts kitchens. He had left his house a little earlier than usual and did not bother waking his staff just for the simple task of having breakfast prepared. The cooks in the kitchen would have been up for several hours already anyway, preparing breakfasts for those who lived inside the walls of the fort.

He had been struggling to get a decent night's sleep since the letter had arrived from England several days before. The whole idea of suddenly getting married weighed heavily on his mind and in result; he had been working overtime just to keep the thoughts out of his head. His parents had said that they were sending over a woman who he would have to suddenly accept into his life and accommodate. The idea seemed to constantly make him feel sick whenever he wasn't controlled enough and let his thoughts ran rampant though his head.

Stepping into the kitchen and nodding to the staff before waiting for them to serve up whatever they were serving to his men. It was now only a couple of days before the _Sapphire of the Sea _was due to dock in Port Royal and they were preparing for the arrival of the _Challenger _a ship to replace the _Interceptor _which was due in port later on in the day. He was proud to have another fast ship in the Caribbean waters, as it was a safety blanket and would be useful for when he would be able to catch Sparrow, if he ever decided to show his face in the Caribbean again.

After accepting the plate of food along with a cup of tea balanced on a saucer in the other hand, James slowly made his way up to his office and settled in to enjoy a few peaceful moments before the daily rush of going's on in the fort left him busy.

The sun had just passed its mark high in the sky and James still found himself unable to enjoy the beautiful day that was sitting just beyond the doors of his office. The only sound in the room was the methodical scratching of a quill against sheets of parchment or the soft sighs of frustration. But the silence was not to last so long, as a knock on the door interrupted the fragile silence.

"Enter" he answered in a rather stern voice, because if he did not hurry up he would not have enough time to finish the missives to inspect the _Challenger _before it was too dark to be on the water.

A young third lieutenant entered, _Jones _James thought as he stepped slightly away from the door before drawing himself up into full height.

"Commodore, there is a party of people awaiting your presence down at the docks. The _Challenger _has arrived" Jones said in a rather shaky voice. James looked closer at the young man and noticed that he also looked rather flustered, as if he had just been running.

"I thought I left word down at the docks that I would be there later." Norrington replied as he placed the quill on his desk and gave the lieutenant his full attention.

"Yes, Lieutenant Gillette told me, but they insist that you come down."

"Do you know who is involved in this party?" James asked as he stood from his chair and gathered his coat.

"I was only told that Admiral Norrington was in the party" the third lieutenant was only just able to get out the words before James barked that he was dismissed. James gathered his hat and looked at the parchments, deciding that they would have to be left for later on in the evening. _They are a few days earlier than expected… and especially on the _Challenger _and if father is with them, that means mother and Miss Reynolds must be there too_.

Finally leaving his office with his sword at his hip, James tried to find the longest possible way to the docks. He went to the fort stables and collected the black stallion he owned and saddled it himself, waving off the stable hands. He then decided to take the longest possible route down to where the _Challenger _had been docked, which just happened to be the place where the _Interceptor _would have been anchored.

Arriving at the docks, James handed the horse to a marine who was standing on guard before carefully brushing his coat down and striding purposefully to the end of the pier.

As he got closer, he saw three people dressed in civilian clothing along with his friend and lieutenant Phillip Gillette. Phillip often liked to annoy James anyway possible, which usually consisted of starting an argument between marines Murtogg and Mullroy. It was only fair that he had to retaliate in some way and his parents were the way to do it. Phillip was trying in vain to calm his mother who was slowly becoming impatient with the amount of time she was being made to wait to see her son.

In no particular rush, just to see his friend uncomfortable, he waited for a while, pretending to look at the docks records. After watching him for a while, James took pity on his friend and decided to approach the three travellers.

"Lieutenant Gillette is there a problem?" he asked with a slight smile towards Phillip.

"No, not at all Commodore Norrington." He said before saluting and walking away.

"Naval officers should not be tardy and leave incompetent lieutenants to deal with important people, James." Lawrence Norrington said as James turned to his family and the young woman who had accompanied them.

"I apologise father" James replied. "There was an issue at the fort which could not be ignored."

"Very well then." Admiral Norrington said before turning on his heel to inspect the _Dauntless_ which was being moved back out to the heads of the bay to watch over the port.

Next it was his mother, who inspected him carefully before stepping forward and kissing his cheek lightly. James returned the kiss and then let his mother take his shoulders and look him over. "Oh you look so much like your father in this uniform, dear." She said as her green eyes continued to analyse every aspect of his uniform and face. "It has been so long, the last time I saw you was just before you left for England."

"Yes it has been. Though I am surprised that you came, especially on a naval ship." James replied.

"Well, we were meant to arrive a few days later, but the _Sapphire of the Sea _had to be… what do they call it? Dry docked! That's right, yes and we did not want to disappoint you, so your father arranged it so that we could still make our trip. They were very welcoming." Mrs Norrington prattled on.

She seemed just to have remembered the young lady who was standing slightly behind her and jumped as if she had just been snuck up on. "Oh yes, yes. James this is Edith Reynolds, the lovely young woman you'll be marrying."

James turned his gaze from his mother to the woman who had taken a small step forward to be seen. She was a head shorter than he was and had a quiet bookish look about her. Miss Reynolds had mousy coloured hair that was pulled up in an elaborate style that all women wore and perched precariously on her nose were a pair of glasses. Behind the glasses were deep brown orbs, which seemed to possess a fiery quality behind them. Her lips were not full, but not thin either and her skin had the same pale quality that any woman from England would possess. James thought the description that his parents had sent him was fairly accurate. She was not one of those London girls who just seemed to radiate beauty, but she was not one of those people who were ridiculed by others for not looking the same. Edith Reynolds was just an average girl, nothing more, nothing less.

Clearing his throat, James stepped forward and took the woman's hand and bowed over it before placing a light kiss on her knuckles. "A pleasure, Miss Reynolds." He said looking up into her eyes, becoming confused when he saw slight disgust behind those glasses.

"Commodore Norrington" she said in a strained voice as she quickly pulled her hands from James' grasp and took several steps backwards.

"Ah yes, yes. James, have you had the maids set up a room for myself and your father? I look forward so much to seeing where you live." His mother said breaking the deafening silence.

"Of course, will Miss Reynolds be dining with us tonight?" James asked, secretly hoping that she would not. It was not that he did not like her, but the disgust in her eyes made him incredibly uncomfortable for someone who had to deal with situations that required some degree of disgust every day.

"Yes, she will be so that her maid has the time to set up her room at the inn she is staying at." James' mother replied as she begun to direct the marines who had gathered their luggage, ordering them to take it up to his house.

"Come, now James you must show us where you live!" his mother said as she picked up the small hatbox that had been sitting on the dock.

James turned and moved back down the dock, his thoughts unusually chaotic as he waited for his visitors to come to the carriage. Quickly before forgetting, James turned to the nearest marine and asked that his stallion be taken to the fort stables. He was not appreciative that his parents had suddenly turned up and expected him to have a room ready for them, along with a dinner for four people.

He was used to a life of solitude. James did not have many friends or acquaintances outside of the fort as they usually meant some horrid mother trying to pair him with a young woman. He only ever had one or two close friends that he genuinely liked and trusted enough for them to enter the small and private world that he had created around himself.

Standing at the door and letting the footman prepare the horses, James helped his mother up into the carriage and then let his father pull himself in. When he turned to Miss Reynolds, she looked at his hand and then grasped the side of the carriage, effectively pulling herself in before James could make any comment on what she was doing.

After pulling himself up into the carriage and taking a seat next to his father, James listened as his mother commented on the houses that they passed and how they were 'just simply adorable.' James looked out of the window, wistfully staring up at the fort where he knew he had left the day's work half uncompleted and that it would have to be done as soon as possible.

As he turned his gaze to nod to his mother to show that he was paying attention to what she was saying, he caught Miss Reynolds staring at him, with her face completely blank. He raised a questioning eyebrow, trying to get her speak a little bit, but she just turned her face and stared out of the window, the same way he was earlier.

**A/N: don't forget to review and leave your thoughts as they are very much appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

Such Great Heights Chapter 4

**A/N: thanks for the lovely reviews and for favourite-ting the story! I know that it has been a while since I updated, but I have been swamped with homework, had writers block and also spent three days of my week walking around the city! But I will try to become more regular with the updates, I promise!** **Anyway! Have a read and don't forget to review! **

Edith's first impression of Port Royal was that it was very different from the expectations she had dreamed up in her head. Instead of their being complete and utter chaos around the town and docks, it was quiet, almost sleepy. Edith in all honesty had been expecting some sort of pirate town where the British nearly had no control at all, but her arrival only consisted of seeing a normal scene which she would expect to see in a village not far from London. There were markets, several dress makers along with shoemakers, several specialty stores and beautiful houses. Edith had never seen such clear water and white beaches before she stepped off the ship into Port Royal.

But as soon as she stepped on the weathered planks of the docks, the good opinion of Port Royal Edith had immediately dissolved. Mrs Norrington insisted that they meet their son on the docks, instead of heading up to the fort and meeting them there, and in the afternoon sun, it was a very long wait. A young first lieutenant was sent to them, and Edith felt sorry for him as he spent several minutes trying to reassure Mrs Norrington that her son would be coming as soon as possible.

Finally, the revered Commodore came, taking as much time as possible to get to his parents. He wore a cocky smirk, which by naval standards wasn't hid very well and Edith decided that he was most definitely like his mother. James Norrington presented himself like any other naval officer, hidden under layers of clothing and Edith asked herself how he was not fainting in the thick overcoat he was wearing. He was clean shaven, and his hair was covered by the white wig which any high ranking naval officer wore and seemed the same old boring and cocky officer.

The carriage ride became awkward when he caught her staring at him in distaste as he went on about how wonderful the town was. How he had worked so hard to make it become what it was and how he had become the 'scourge of piracy'. It was all so very boring and monotonous.

Soon they pulled up at a house that really didn't look like the type of house that a Commodore would not own. It was too big to be a large house, but too small to be a mansion and was not showy at all, something that a rich merchant would own rather than the commander of naval forces on an island. The house was made of a type of stone that Edith had never seen before which was a sandy colour and the white trimmings on the porch, windows and doorways, which made the house, possess a subtle elegance.

The Commodore and his father were the first ones out of the carriage, and waited on both sides of the door for the two women to get out. Admiral Norrington helped his wife down and onto the cobblestone drive, and like before, the Commodore offered his hand. Looking at the ground and then up at the house, Edith decided to swallow her pride and just let the Commodore help her down, just that once. Placing her hand in his, Edith placed one foot on the ground and gracefully stepped out of the carriage.

Moving her hand quickly out of his grasp, Edith moved behind Mrs Norrington as they walked past the house staff that had arranged themselves in an orderly line. Edith was quietly shocked as she entered through the doors. The inside of the house was clean, neat and had a timeless look about it. The floors were a beautiful marble and a large staircase wrapped around the back wall, which commanded the attention of those who stood in the foyer. To the left were three large doors, which were all closed and on the right side of the foyer were two doors, of which one was open.

Standing awkwardly, Edith watched as Mrs Norrington _rather rudely _walked into the open room and started looking around. "James! The view from here is wonderful! You must have worked so hard to get a property like this!" she called from the room. Trying not to smile as the Commodore suddenly looked flustered, Edith bit her lip and turned her head as she watched him tail his mother helplessly around the house, trying to evade comments his mother made.

"James! This ballroom is far too small! How are we meant to hold an engagement ball here!" Edith choked when she heard the words leave Mrs Norrington's mouth. "This could probably hold only half of this small town!" She said as she came back to the foyer where Edith and Admiral Norrington had been standing.

"If you plan for us to be married within the month, will there be enough time?" The Commodore asked cautiously as he directed them to the dining room where his staff had set up a meal for them in a short amount of time.

"Of course there will be James. I have planned it so that hopefully, if we have enough time I'm sure we could organise it so that it is next week." Mrs Norrington said brushing off his comment as she sat at the head of the table. The Commodore looked disgruntled as he took a seat that was across from where Edith sat herself down.

"And have you asked Miss Reynolds what she wants?" he asked, not looking at his mother, but straight at Edith. Moving uncomfortably under his intense gaze, Edith turned her face downwards and looked at the china that sat on the table in front of her.

"Oh that does not matter James, we'll start getting ready for the wedding. We'll also have to work around the times you work at the fort and make sure that all of Port Royale knows that you, their loyal commander and protector is getting married! I'm sure that w-"

Mrs Norrington was cut short by the arrival of dinner and soon the only sound in the dining room was the noise of the silverware hitting the china plates. Edith kept her gaze focused on the plate in front of her, but when she looked up, she noticed that the Commodore and his mother where fiercely looking at each other. Moving her gaze down to the opposite end of the table, Admiral Norrington was intent on keeping his eyes on the plate of fish that was in front of him.

"Dear, don't you think that it is best to leave all of this conversation until a later date? It is becoming late and we are still to see Edith off to her accommodation." Admiral Norrington said in his quiet, yet commanding voice.

Moving from the table, Edith stood and gently pushed the chair in and went to stand at the front door. If the Norrington's had any unresolved business that could not wait, she was not going to get involved. In an effort to pass time, Edith gave another observation of the foyer and looked at the paintings that graced the wall. One was of the ocean, swirling blues, greens and whites, the ocean being chaotic, but graceful and beautiful at the same time. The one next to it was of the bay in Port Royal, which showed off all of the beautiful features that the small town possessed. As she looked closer at the two portraits, she noticed there was no artist's signature in the corner.

A throat was cleared, and Edith spun around. She was met with deep green eyes, and instinctively took a step backwards. "Those are very nice paintings, where did you get them from?" Edith asked in a quiet voice.

"I found a shop that did them for me specially." he said quickly as he examined the paintings. "We should be getting to the inn where you are staying. I had your possessions sent to where you are staying" Nodding, Edith watched as the Commodore gathered his things and opened the door for her. Moving through the door, Edith walked down the drive to the carriage and helped herself in.

When the Commodore pulled himself in and tapped the roof of the carriage, the horses went forward and pulled them down the hill. Edith watched as Ra spent his last few seconds gracing the ocean, before pulling itself beyond the horizon.

The inn where Edith was staying was in one of the nicer parts of town and was beautifully comfortable for those who would come and go through the town. Stepping out of the carriage and into the inn, Edith was met with the most wonderful smell of a culinary delight and the warmth of a fire for the cooling night.

"Miss Edith" was barely heard, but Edith spun around at the name and watched as Emma pulled herself from a chair and walk to her side. "Your rooms have been taken care of, so that when you go upstairs you can retire to bed. Your bags have also been unpacked and the wedding dress ha-" Emma cut herself off and quickly curtsied "Good evening Commodore."

"Good Evening" he said before turning to Edith who turned around when Emma became flustered. "I'm sure we will be meeting again soon and I look forward to it." Bowing, he left the two women standing in the foyer.

"Well Emma, I'm not sure about you, but I think that it is a rather good time to retire for the night."

The little room that was Edith's bedroom was quiet as the two women prepared to retire for the night. The only noise that was heard was the occasional creak of furniture or floorboards, and the roar of the fire in the grate.

"So Miss, what do you think of the Commodore?" Emma said as she placed a dress on a wire hangar.

"Dreadfully conceited and boring. He's also very pig-headed like the rest of the British naval officers. He seemed to take great joy in watching one of his men struggle to deal with Mrs Norrington, while he just took as much time as possible to make his way down the dock." Edith replied as she finished brushing her hair.

"Yes Miss, but you have only known him for so many hours. Do you really think it best to shoot him down so quickly? He could have actually been doing something on the docks, you just do not know."

"I'm not sure, but he still seems to be so very much like his mother. The only real thing from his father I can see is the fact that he is a naval officer." Edith murmured as Emma moved behind her and began weaving her hair into a braid.

"You must give him more time Edith. You do not know what he is like not in the presence of his parents." Emma pinned the braid into place. "And if I may be so bold miss, he is quite the handsome man too, those eyes…" she trailed off dreamily.

"Well if you think him so handsome, why don't you marry him?" Edith sniped as she helped Emma pull down the covers. At the hurt look on her friends face, Edith quickly made amends "Oh Emma, I'm so frustrated."

"I understand Miss, but as I have said before, give him a chance. He will be good to you if you are welcoming and come willingly into his life. It may be that he acts different when in the presence of others." Emma pulled the covers back over Edith and began to smooth the covers back.

"Emma, I appreciate the wonderful advice, but I don't think that someone like me is going to change a man like the Commodore. I'm just a merchants daughter from England, who is being forced to marry someone who I've never met before and then produce his children!"

"Just wait and see" Emma said as she blew out the candles around the room and closed the door softly behind her.

"I doubt it." Edith said as she rolled onto her side.

**A/N: hey guys, they changed the review button so that it is more noticeable! Give a review on your way out! **


	5. Chapter 5

Such Great Heights Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm back! And it's a quicker-than-expected update! Yeah so I found some motivation and also the fact that I have no homework, along with wayy to much procrastination time in class and churned out this chapter for you my lovely readers! Also I forgot to write a disclaimer in the last chapter (woops) and so I am going to write it in this one. I love you guys, and I bet I will love you more if you guys leave a review on your way out! So please review as your support means so very much to me.**

**I do not own anything associated with Pirates of the Carribbean, apart from my characters who have only ever appeared in my story.**

James rubbed his brow and sighed as he squeezed his eyes closed. His thoughts kept straying from the work in front of him and back to his house where his mother was undoubtedly planning that bloody engagement party for the coming Sunday. She had been running riot around the town, harassing all sorts of shops about how she was planning the biggest ball of the year and one that Port Royal was surely not to forget anytime soon. It irked him too that his house had been taken over by her as well, the library and several guest rooms being taken over by rolls of material or lists of petty things that they 'needed'. She had also dedicated one of his guest rooms to the cause of fixing up Miss Reynolds dress, which his mother had forbid him to enter saying that it would be terrible luck for him to see the wedding dress before the actual day.

Speaking of Miss Reynolds, he had barely seen a trace of her since the night that he dropped her off at the inn. It seemed that if she was with his mother, that she was there after he left for the fort and gone when he came back. James could also not make a proper judgment on her, as he had only heard her speak less than half a dozen times.

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he tried to once again focus on the piece of parchment on his desk. Lately he had been struggling to work, as he was constantly imagining his mother's voice in his head and the pressure to be home early enough to deal with his parents was killing the times he set for himself. But the numbers kept muddling up and his mother's haughty voice kept filling his head reminding him that he should be focusing on more important things like what colour flowers there were to be at the wedding. Taking that as a sign that if he spent any more time trying to work he would most definitely go insane, James placed the piece of parchment on top of a pile that he mentally marked as 'later'.

Moving from his office, James walked up the stairs and out into the day through a large set of wooden doors. When his face hit the sun, it seemed that every thought about how he was going to survive the next month with his parents on the island or his upcoming wedding, just disappeared from his head. He walked through the courtyard where the gallows where being deconstructed, nodding at those who were on patrol and up the stone steps to one of his favourite places in the fort.

The battlements did not hold particularly good memories for him, but it still gave one of the best views of Port Royal. It was there that his awry proposal to Elizabeth took place and also the location where that bastard Sparrow had escaped. But when he was up there and no one else was, apart from the patrols, he truly felt as if he were the only person on the island.

The sun was beginning to make the sky a beautiful orange and birds were flying from the trees, escaping back to the forests for the night. The shore still crashed against the beach, making a noise that no orchestra or music could recreate while people began making their way back to their houses, the sun telling them that it was time to get back to their families. Letting himself get lost in the whole peace of the place, James did not notice his friends walking up the steps behind him.

"James" Lieutenant Theodore Groves called out to him, causing the man to jump and grasp the stone wall that stood beside him.

"Lieutenant, do you think it wise to sneak up on a commanding officer like that?" James replied automatically.

"James, you have been out of it for nearly half an hour. You didn't even hear us coming. What is on your mind?" Gillette asked as they came up on the steps next to him and continued to look out at the ocean together.

Rolling his eyes and preparing for a sarcastic reply, James turned to Gillette, but before he could let a word out, he was cut off by Groves.

"Is it about that woman who arrived with your parents a few days ago?" Groves asked. The word that a woman along with the Commodore's parents got around Port Royal and on a naval ship too, got around rather quickly. Groves and Gillette had been Norrington's friend since they had been midshipmen when they had first joined the navy. Their meeting was chance as James could have accepted the offer to become a third lieutenant, but he refused and soon was stationed with Gillette and Groves. The two had met the Norrington's when they had returned from a patrol two years later and from there on, the two men, knew that their friend's parents were total opposites of their son.

"Do you know why that woman has accompanied my parents to Port Royal?" James asked with a great deal of intensity.

"Well we heard somewhere that this woman was your sister, which we dismissed immediately as we knew that you have no sister. But apart from that, we know nothing." Gillette shrugged slightly "But there is something that's going to happen between you and this woman right James?"

James did not know how to tell his friends. After the rejection of his proposal, James had drunkenly swore that he would never, ever become involved with a woman again and continue his job with more fervour than ever before, which he had achieved well so far, despite the lack of pirate activity in the waters. And now it was that his career would have to take a back seat, to another cause, starting a family. "The lady who accompanied my parents was… is Miss Edith Reynolds, who I will be marrying within the month."

Groves and Gillette spluttered while Norrington hold his hands out in front, just in case there could be an accidental slip and a repetition of his proposal. They looked at him incredulously before they managed to find their voices.

"M-married? You cannot be serious James?" Phillip managed to choke out. "You only swore months ago that you would not marry for some time!"

"Well I didn't exactly have a choice, Phillip." James let out in an angry, but controlled rush "Anthony has been able to produce an heir, so the job has fallen to me. My parents thought they were doing the right thing and decided to bring a bride along with them from England."

"Why did you accept James? You have a choice!" Phillip cried, as Theodore tried to form some sort of response.

"Because, they brought her all the way over here from bloody England! She left her family to come here! I just can't take one look at her and toss her away! It is not the right thing to do!" James let his mask slip and the anger out.

"James, calm down. I understand, you can't have her come halfway around the world and then you decide just because you have not been informed enough to choose another woman. Can you think about how she feels" Theodore stopped him. James knew that Theodore would know what to say, having a beautiful wife himself.

"I know, I know, Theodore. But having mother here just makes everything worse than it should be. I do not understand why she needs three rooms just for different bolts of fabric."

_~Quasso~_

It seemed that someone was hell bent on making James Norrington's day go from bad to worse. When he had gone back to his office to gather up the day's remaining work and take it back home with him in the hope of him finding some time to finish them either before or after his mother decided to bombard him with questions. But as he was finished packing up and distinguishing the lamps in his office, a young messenger boy wearing the colours of the governor showed up at his door.

The letter he bore made James even more annoyed then he thought humanly possible. It seemed that instead of going straight home and dealing with his mother, that he would be leaving the idea of having a hopefully quiet evening at home and spending the night at the Governor's residence with his parents, the Governor, Elizabeth and Edith.

He was not sure how his mother would handle Elizabeth, seeing as she was one of the main reasons why she had to make the journey down to Port Royal. And he was also not sure how Edith and Elizabeth get along, seeing as one woman had broken his heart, and the other was soon going to be sharing the same home as him.

There was no denying it, there was still a tiny flame somewhere deep in his heart that burnt for Elizabeth. There was no other type of woman like her, witty, fiery, and energetic a woman a man would love for the rest of his years. He still felt a tiny flutter in his chest when she smiled, even when it wasn't directed at him, he still felt as if she were the one who would be able to chase away all of the problems in the world.

_~Quasso~_

The Governor greeted James with great ceremony, dismissing the doorman and pulling James in through the door by his hand which was caught in a firm handshake. This was the usual greeting that James got when he visited the governor, as he had taken a fatherly role in his life from when he moved to Port Royal. James did not mind the governor, a kindly old man who had his wife taken from him too early and leaving him with his free spirited young daughter. James was also quite happy to say that the transformation of Port Royal from pirate haven to sophisticated English colony was all of the Governors hard work, but the Governor simply insisted that it was the young lieutenant who had brought much change to the island.

A crystal glass of wine was pushed into his hand and James was pushed into the parlour, where the other guests of the governor sat. Gently setting his glass on a table, James pulled off his hat, sword and belt that held his pistol and extra shots, which were taken away by a waiting servant.

Taking a seat in the only available armchair that was beside the governor and Miss Reynolds on different sides, James settled himself into the conversation they were having before he arrived. It seemed that the Governor and his father were discussing what was currently happening in England and what direction the navy was going. The topic was simply boring for James, as he had learnt early in his days as a captain, that what was happening in England did not generally effect what was happening in Jamaica. It took too long for news to travel and the issue was usually resolved before the news had hit Port Royal.

"James, how are things down at the fort?" the Governor asked kindly, breaking him from his thoughts and sending him hurling back into reality.

Trying to pull his thoughts together, James blinked rapidly and tried to pull himself back in the conversation. "Not much has happened recently, just the general tasks that need to be completed; there has not been much pirate or Spanish activity which has kept the fort quite full."

The next voice was not the governors, querying him about the state of the ships, but Elizabeth's. "Are we distracted Commodore?" she asked in a teasing, light tone that meant no harm at all. His stomach fluttered.

"Not at all Miss Swann, I am just beginning to feel the effects of all day paperwork." James replied with the same small polite smile that he always gave around others.

Just as Elizabeth was about to reply, James' mother cut in with a snarky and biting comment "so I heard you married a blacksmith Miss Swann?"

James Norrington did not like his mother. He would have used despised, but he thought that was too strong a title to refer to one's mother. Idorea Norrington was what one would not be described as a matronly type, but more like a severe type, hell bent on making everyone's life impossible. The only thing just liked to think he had inherited from her, were the emerald eyes that he possessed and nothing else. She had never been a mother to him, just constantly reminding him that he would have to work for his own money, unlike his brother, who would inherit everything once they had passed away. Idorea did not care for her other son, happier to gossip about what was happening in London society and why someone should not be wearing a certain gown.

Watching the scene in front of him was painful for James, as he had built up such a reputation in the town and comments like that could easily send it crashing down. Elizabeth looked shocked while the Governor and James' father tried to do something about the situation. Miss Reynolds looked slightly shocked but mostly impassive, as she stared at Mrs Norrington who leaned back in the chair satisfied with the shock that she had generated around the room.

Closing his eyes for a moment, James realised that this evening could not get possibly worse.

**A/N: don't forget to leave a review on your way out, I really do appreciate them :D**


	6. Chapter 6

Such Great Heights Chapter 6

**Righto, so going back to my last chapter I realised I made my own mistake when it came to writing the plot. I was meant to say that Elizabeth is to be wed to Will, but it has not happened yet… my mistake. And if you have not noticed, this story is really going on James, Edith, James… basis, just because I really like getting both sides of the story which is my type of writing. Alrighty, back on track. There is really no excuse for how long this took to update, I really have not been that motivated to write as my big English project is coming down the sticky end and I have much to do, but I do not think that is very legitimate. Unfortunately I have not had the time to edit this as I simply do not have enough time, but I will go back one day and edit it so that it is up to my usual standard So thank-you wonderful, wonderful people who have been kind enough to favourite my story, put it on alert, and leave a review! You people mean so much to me! Your reviews are lovely and so very kind hearted and one thing I love is that you guys are really enjoying the story, which is my main motivation to keep this piece of writing going. **

Edith was not enjoying herself. She did not want to spend the night at the Governor's residence, fading into the background while the Admiral, Governor, Commodore and Mrs Norrington blabbered on about some meaning less topic that she had no idea about. Edith was very used to these social situations, her being more of a wallflower than anything, but back in England she at least had someone who would be willing to talk to her. It was all too much for her, as she had only been there for a week, and she was still unable to express her feelings and opinions to anyone but Emma. Even though Edith was not really fond of telling Mrs Norrington how much she hated her, or talking to the young Miss Swann; she really wanted to just let go.

It was shortly after the Commodore had arrived, barely hiding the agitation that was etched on his face, that the evening took its first turn for the worst. The room had been filled with small talk, which made the atmosphere in the room feel forced and awkward, until Mrs Norrington had to make some unneeded comment.

Mrs Norrington continued to irk Edith every time she opened her mouth. Whenever they were down at the shops in the centre of Port Royal, Mrs Norrington would continually make comments about how everything was so much better in London or how Port Royal was just a small and insignificant town. Edith did not feel that way because she had grown some sort of attachment to Port Royal, no it was because her own mother had raised her to never make any comments if you did not have something nice to say. But every time Edith tried to speak up, Mrs Norrington would interrupt her with a '_hush!_' and then finish her sentence in a completely different way from what she intended.

The comment she made this time did not make the people around her tut and mutter to others around them wondering if she really was the Commodore's mother, but stun the whole room into silent shock.

"So I heard you are to be wed to a blacksmith?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice that was laced with malice.

While everyone sat in shocked silence, Edith sat, her brow furrowed trying to work out why everyone in the room was so shocked. She knew that it was great scandal for someone like a governor's daughter to marry someone who was several classes below their station, but it seemed that with this case there was something more to it. Edith was not sure why Mrs Norrington knew about it, only being on the island for half a dozen days, but it looked like it was something that both affected the Swanns and the Norringtons.

"I beg your pardon?" the Governor spluttered after he had regained his missing composure. The stunned silence was shattered as the whole room turned to eye Mrs Norrington with disbelief.

"I was merely asking how your daughter was coping with the wedding plans. I see there would be no financial problems at all as the father of the bride will be paying, but if the groom were to pay, you would be waiting quite a while to wed." she sniped again.

"Well, if you must know Mrs Norrington, the preparations are going perfectly well! I cannot wait to marry my husband!" Elizabeth Swann interrupted boldly. Edith would never dare to interrupt such a woman like Idorea Norrington, but it seemed that Miss Swann was a rather head strong young lady who could not remember how different the people of London society are compared to the more relaxed people of Port Royal. Edith watched as Elizabeth slid back into her chair that was located next to her father and begun to look appropriately abashed at her outburst.

Luckily, they were saved from anymore forced conversation when a butler came in and announced that supper was finally ready to be served.

_~Quasso~_

Supper became even more awkward. Not for the whole company, but just Edith. It seemed that once the first course had been cleared and a few bottles of wine had been opened, the whole atmosphere in the room relaxed dramatically. And when everyone became relaxed in their presence, Edith became the centre of unwanted attention.

"So Miss Edith, if I may call you that-" the governor hiccoughed, interrupting his speech, but he chuckled and continued on "what do you like to do? I'm sure that you will find something to do to keep you occupied in Port Royal."

Everyone's focus shifted from the chocolate cake dessert to Edith, making her flush under their slightly drunk but intense gazes.

"Oh, I'm not really sure what is available here. I have not had the chance to much looking around at the shops." She stopped satisfied with her answer, but the governor gave her a searching look and she sighed internally and continued on. "Back in England I enjoyed doing patchwork, making quilts and blankets along with doing a bit of gardening around the manse. I also like reading." She added quietly.

"What types of books do you like reading?" The Governor prodded gently again, his eyes shining brightly as he spoke to her.

"Oh, anything really. I do not mind that Shakespeare fellow, his works are rather good." Edith said quietly.

"What type of plants did you have in your garden back in England?" he prodded once again.

"Oh all types of flowers and trees." Edith replied, trying not to prattle on about all of the plants that she knew about. She was also trying to fight the feeling that she felt towards the governor. He was one of the few people to actually ask her what her interests were and take some interest in what she enjoyed doing. But it seemed that the nice feeling would not last for long.

"I think it is unbecoming of a lady to be spending her time in the garden amongst dirt and other nasty things." Mrs Norrington said, adding her always unwanted opinion to the conversation.

"If you do not mind Idorea, I think it is a good idea to encourage women to pursue other activities rather than just spending all day indoors. Gardening is a good activity as well, a very refined and delicate thing that often needs a woman's touch." The governor said as he looked at her gently.

"Well, this seems to prove that Port Royal has certainly not met my expectations. It is quite clearly such a barbaric place that soon they will be letting women serve in the navy and own land! It is beyond ridiculous!" Mrs Norrington seethed as she rose from her chair.

"Now I do not think that is really called for" the governor said as he rose from his own seat.

"No I do feel like that. The only thing I think that women like myself, Edith and your daughter should be doing is simply waiting at home for the men to come home from the places they go and giving birth to children." She paused and then looked at Edith maliciously "some women are even brought half-way across the globe just to provide children for men and be mothers to children who will never grow up to appreciate what they have. And from what I have discovered with most of those women, is that they are boring old spinsters who were never good enough for the prestigious London society and need to be shipped somewhere so that there would be no shame brought upon their family. Most of the women are just silly bookish people who could never snag a man during her debut, as they are just far too ugly for normal, rich society." Mrs Norrington sent one more biting smirk before taking her seat, leaving the rest of the room reeling from her snarky and hurtful comments.

Edith did not move an inch once Mrs Norrington had finished her tirade. Oh, she knew that she had been shipped to Port Royal to provide a male heir for the Norringtons. That was the only reason why she was there at that very moment. But the comments Mrs Norrington made about how bookish people were too ugly for normal society hurt her to her core. Edith had never really been described as pretty, her crooked teeth and bony structure to different compared to the perfect curvaceous women who sat on the arms of some of the most important men in London. Many people had seen her, looked her over and then passed her with no comment, but little tuts where heard behind her about how she was simply that thin and not well enough for childbirth. So she was eagerly awaiting the time when she could finally be classed as an old spinster and have the opportunity to use her knowledge to teach young people and become a governess.

Edith felt tears growing at the back of her eyes. They were blurring her vision and despite everything, she was not prepared to start crying like a little child in front of the governor and the Commodore. She pushed her chair out from under the table and ran from the dining room to the foyer where a servant was waiting to open the door.

The night was unusually cool and Edith thanked the lord that the carriage was waiting at the top of the drive. Telling the driver to drop her at the inn and then return so that at least the Commodore could get home, Edith sat herself on the seat and finally let the tears fall.

When the carriage pulled up at the inn, Edith ran up to her room, completely ignoring the fact that Emma was calling her name and threw herself on the bed, not caring as if she was acting like a lovesick person.

_~Quasso~_

The morning light was blinding, but it was nothing compared to the pain that Edith felt around her rips, waist and hips. She had somehow managed to fall asleep in her dress, along with the corset that came with it and now she had hell to pay. Rising gently from her bed, careful not to disturb the painful points which she was sure were bruised, Edith called for Emma to help her get ready to face Mrs Norrington, who would undoubtedly have something to say about her performance from the night before.

When Emma came in, she made no comment plucking the pins from her hair which had somehow managed not to fall out while she slept. Once her hair was free from its confines, Emma began untying the stays from the back of her dress, relieving her only a little. Once the dress had been pulled off, Emma began untying the corset, which eventually loosened enough so that the sharp pains had turned it a dull throbbing.

"Can I please not have a dress with a corset Emma?" Edith asked as Emma went to the cupboard which stored all of her day dresses. It would simply be too much for her to wear a corset all day and deal with Mrs Norrington all while trying to resist the temptation to snap at the annoying woman.

"Of course Miss. Did something happen last night at the governor's residence?" Emma asked as she gently tied the stays up the back of the dress, being mindful of the dark purple bruises.

"Oh, it was Mrs Norrington just being her obnoxious self. Emma, nothing you have to worry about my friend." Edith said as she pulled the brush through her hair, examining the weather outside by looking past her reflection in the mirror.

"Miss Edith a letter came this morning while you were asleep." Emma said as she grabbed the brush and began pulling her hair up into a braided knot.

"And what did this letter say?" Edith said as she continued looking out the window at the cloudy, but still blue sky.

"That the gown that was ordered for the engagement party has arrived from the tailors and she needs both of us at the Norrington residence for the final fitting and to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made." Emma said quietly.

Edith was hoping that she would be able to spend the day away from Mrs Norrington's clutches, to get out and maybe explore the town further than just the shopping strip. But it seemed that fate had different things in store for her.

"Oh… okay then. We'll get over there right after breakfast so that we can get it over as quick as possible and then maybe spend some time around town." Edith said as she gathered her hat and placed it on her head before leaving the hotel.

When Edith and Emma arrived at the Norrington manse, they were welcomed by an icy Mrs Norrington who tried to hide a glare, but failed miserably. "It's so nice to see you again Edith. Are you well?"

"Quite" Edith said as she stood awkwardly in the foyer with Emma just behind her. Peeking through the drawing room door, Edith saw a large box sitting on the side table which was undoubtedly her dress.

"Yes well I am rather well too. After being embarrassed greatly in front of the governor, I am very ashamed that you would do something like that." Mrs Norrington sniped. "It really has c-"

She was cut off by the tailor coming in with several of her assistants. "Miss Reynolds if you don't mind going into the drawing room and trying on the dress behind the screen. We just want to make sure there are no adjustments that need to be made. The dress is in the box on the table."

Edith went into the drawing room and moved behind the screen waiting for Emma to bring the dress with her.

"Oh Miss…" Emma sighed as she opened the box and looked at the dress. On top of large bundle of material was a corset that had to be worn to have the dress sit properly on her body.

"Don't worry Emma, I only shall have it on for a short period of time." Edith said as she patiently waited for Emma to untie the stays on her dress. Once her dress was pulled from her body, Emma placed the corset around her chest carefully and began to the tighten the strings, making Edith suck in a sharp breath. The bruises were hurting and the corset ribs were digging into her own ribs making her feel as if she was suffocating.

"Is that okay miss?" Emma asked while she pulled the rest of the dress from the box. Despite the fact that Edith was not a big fan of getting dressed up and going to stuffy society parties, she loved the dress that had been made for her.

"Of course, do not worry Emma; you are such an excellent maid and friend." Edith said solemnly as Emma now laced up the back of dress in a complicated pattern. Once she was done, Emma touched Edith's shoulders before going to the door of the drawing room to welcome the tailors in.

"If you could please step on the stool please Miss Reynolds." They said gathering around Edith like hawks would circle their prey. Mrs Norrington stood behind the tailor, looking at the dress critically.

"You!" she snapped at Emma "how tight did you tie that corset?"

Emma blushed and looked at the floor before answering quietly "Only a little bit ma'am. She is experiencing some pain around her chest and I only tied the corset a bit so she would not have any trouble moving it."

"Well I want you to go back and tie it tighter. We can only get this properly done if it is going to be as tight as it will be during the night."

"Yes ma'am" Emma said, giving a hand for Edith to get off the stool and leading her behind the screen. Once they were safely behind, Emma began untying the dress and apologising "I'm so sorry miss, I shouldn't have said anything, now you're going to be in pain for such a long time."

When Emma unlaced the corset and began pulling on the strings, Edith's body erupted in pain, making her eyes water. There was one last swift tug before the pulling stopped and she was stuck with an empty feeling in her lungs.

_~Quasso~_

Despite Edith's best attempts, she was not able to escape the Norrington household for dinner. She had been asked by a still sour Mrs Norrington to just go over the last details of what was to happen at the ball in a night's time. It was tense and awkward, with Mrs Norrington trying to make sure that everything was going her way like what was to be served and what type of strings they should have play at the night. It was tiring and boring for Edith, but even worse for poor Emma who in the stead of other servants, was made to meretriciously write everything down. When she was asked if she was able to, Mrs Norrington made another of her famous biting comments.

"Can you even write properly? I thought that ladies maids were not trained to write."

Emma had looked absolutely shell shocked and Edith was ready to get up and defend her best friend, but she was interrupted by one of the Commodore's servants. Pushing the anger down, Edith leaned back in the chair and watched as the servant and Mrs Norrington discussed something in whispered voices. The anger was soon replaced by laughter as she watched Mrs Norrington become agitated and look at the servant as if he were a fish.

Once they were done Mrs Norrington looked frustrated and upset and kept glaring at the two wooden doors that led to the drawing room as if they had personally harmed her in some way. Edith then understood why she was looking at the doors the way she was, when they opened and revealed a passive Commodore Norrington.

"What are you doing here?" she asked sharply as he moved into the room and placed his large hat on a side table, leaving him wearing the white wig.

"I believe this is my house, mother." He snapped, matching his mother exactly in temper. It seemed that it worked as she rose haughtily from her chair and moved out of the room, glaring all of the way.

When the door slammed, Edith looked around the quiet room and her eyes settled on the Commodore who looked decidedly uncomfortable standing near the doors. Before she could look away, the commodore caught her gaze and moved forwards slightly. Edith looked away out of the window to the ocean and let herself get lost in the beautiful scenery that she was so blessed to witness.

She was lost for several moments before the sound of a throat being cleared interrupted her moments of peace. She turned to face the Commodore who had hidden his emotions behind his mask again and was a lot closer to her before she turned.

He then spoke, a rich baritone noise filled the quiet room fell from his lips, which Edith had to admit, was rather intoxicating.

"Would you mind joining me for a turn in the gardens outside?"

**A/N: Do you like it? A bit longer than all of the other chapters and something that has filled a few holes in preparation for when things start get going… so if you liked it please leave a review because I appreciate them very, very much. Thanks xx! **


	7. Chapter 7

Such Great Heights Chapter 7

**Alrighty, sorry for the long wait. I didn't realise that I would have so much homework after I finished the program in the city, which meant that I was not able to update this as quickly as I would have liked to. And then when I was finally just about to finish and publish, an earthquake just happened to hit and I had to deal with hysterical little sisters. But finally I am here and I bring an update! Once again I would like to thank you lovely people who leave a review as they just brighten my day! Now back to the chapter, we get to see things from the eyes of James and also a rather awkward fight between him and his absolute dragon of a mother! So let's get to the chapter and it would be really nice if you left a review for me!**

James Norrington was very tired, completely exhausted from the night before, as his mother had seen fit to throw a tantrum once they had returned from the Governor's mansion. Speaking of the governor, the night that he hosted was beyond terrible. As always his mother had to make comments that no-one wanted to listen to and then she began insulting the company which soon spiralled out of control. It had been a while since James had attended a formal dinner outside of his own property with his mother, the last time he did was right before he left England, and she managed to make that one a living hell by embarrassing him and saying he was not ready to go out to sea by himself.

But that did not even compare to what she said the night before. It had been downright embarrassing, having her snipe and make comments that should never be said in company about his future wife. Even worse ones came when Edith had left the mansion and James had pulled his mother from his room.

"James! You are making a scene! Just like that woman who claims to be a proper English woman! She deserved everything she got! If she is not willing to abide by societies rules and not be able to accept the consequences for what she has done, she may as well leave and head back to England. A woman like her is not proper for a fine man like you James! She does things that aren't lady-like!" Idorea Norrington argued as her son pulled her into one of the many empty rooms that sat in the governor's residence.

"I do not care. What you have said about Miss Reynolds is enough for one night. What you say not just only makes people think less of you; it makes people think less of me, which is something I will not stand for. I have heard enough stories about you from the townspeople and from officers around the fo-"cutting himself off and taking a deep breath, James stood tall and then looked at his mother harshly "we will continue this later." He breathed before turning from the room and leaving his mother in the dark.

Closing the door and moving back into the dining room, where they still sat hours after the meal finished. Pushing through the open doors, James took his original seat, next to where Edith sat and waited for something to eventuate. He noted that everyone still remaining in the room stared at him curiously, wanting to know whether his mother had left in the same fashion as his fiancée had. Just as Elizabeth was about to open her mouth to make some sort of comment, his mother opened the doors in what James thought was one of the most dramatic ways possible.

"Governor," she said "I apologise for the behaviour of Miss Reynolds, I understand that it was totally inappropriate and she will be over to make amends with you and your daughter. It was a lovely evening apart from the last half hour."

Looking flustered and not like he believed the woman at all, the governor stuttered. "Of course it was very lovely. Please give Miss Reynolds my regards. Commodore, I trust I'll see you in the morning? Those reports for the king need to be finalised."

Nodding wearily, James stepped into the carriage, which had just arrived back on the Governors drive and waited for them to depart.

_~Quasso~_

Back at his house, James stepped out of the carriage and into his house. He turned on his heel when his mother decided that just setting foot over the threshold before deciding that it was time for her to properly scold him.

"James, just what were you thinking? Pulling me out of the room like a little child who has stolen something! I am your mother! I think that I deserve more respect than I am getting! You would not have a bride if it wasn't for me! I am organising a wedding in the stead of her parents, and she is being difficult, having to have her own ideas and completely ruining mine!" she yelled and James winced internally as he thought of those listening to this.

"Maybe she is entitled to these opinions. From what I have heard, a wedding is a very important and special thing for women, why won't you let her have some things her way." He reasoned carefully, not really wanting to start yelling at a woman, even if it was his mother.

"But I think that it should not be. She has come with a simple task that she must complete, which is marrying you and then producing children so that we can continue the family line! That is all she is here for! Nothing more! Your failure of a brother has once again let down the family and whether you like it or not, the task has fallen into your hands."

"You have no right to speak to her like that though mother! She has had to sail across the world with her fiancés parents, who could not really care about what happened to her, just so that they could continue the family line. She knows nothing on me and is being forced to enter a marriage that she is quite obviously not willing to enter! I hope that you apologise to her tomorrow when she comes back here!" James said watching her carefully as she flopped herself onto the chaise lounge, watching him scathingly.

"Get out." James could not believe what he was being told. He was being asked to leave his own house.

But then as he began to form his rebuttal in his head, James was hit with a wave of exhaustion and it seemed that this battle could be left for another day. Not even bothering to say anything to his mother, he spun on his heel causing a sharp squeak to sound through the foyer; James turned and opened the door, slamming it behind him as his anger seemed to rise again. Hopping down the steps, he walked along the stone path that twisted around the side of the manse.

The night air was cool against his face and lights from some of the rooms in the house lit the path so that James had light to go by so that he would not end up in a garden bed somehow. His eyes then focused on the candle flames that lid the years which did not come from the house, but much rather the stables that sat in the back corner of his property.

Moving closer to the door, he nodded to the stable hand who was settling the horses that pulled the carriage back into their respective stalls, giving him his space. James moved towards the end of the stables were Darby, his Irish stallion stood watching him curiously. Rubbing his nose affectionately, James opened the stall door and gave the horse a thorough pet, much to the horses delight. Deciding that it was time to begin saddling the large horse, James gathered a saddle blanket, throwing it over Darby and then pulling the saddle around the horse's middle. Pulling the rein around the horse so that they sat comfortably and did not cause any discomfort, James mounted and pulled the horse out of the stables.

Pulling Darby into a canter, James moved down the hill on which his and many of the other richer inhabitants lived and headed towards the fort. He wanted to delay the fact that he would be sleeping in the small cot in a adjourning room of his office, he often slept there after he had become Commodore as the demanding schedule and amount of work often caught up with him. Knowing exactly where to go, James pulled Darby off the main road and onto a lesser known path that was only lit by the bright moonlight.

This particular beach, during the right time could often be considered one of the most peaceful places to be in Port Royal, far from the bustling town or ever-busy fort. The shore lapped at the sand, leaving a trail of foam that had formed as the waves had spent those precious few seconds reaching as far as they could on the white sand. The sand was an eerie white colour, made by the moonlight that cut through the clouds, including the silver black colours that came from the plant life; it was a picture of total serenity.

Guiding Darby onto the sand James pushed him forward, making him go from the trot into a brisk canter that made the wind whip his face sharply. Once Darby ran the length of the beach James pulled him back and guided him into the shallow water, making little droplets of water separate from the sea.

James knew that he could not go back to his house for the night. He was a brave man, leading ships into battles where one crucial mistake could decide the fate of him and his crew or duelling pirates in the strangest of circumstances, but he knew that this time it was best for him to retreat and leave his mother to cool down overnight. Looking at the position of the moon in the sky, James nudged Darby in the sides and pulled him back onto the road from which they came. Before they stepped up onto the main road weaving through Port Royal, James stopped and looked at Port Royal from the vantage view that they had. The town was quiet, apart from the docks where people worked under the lamp lights, preparing to sail with the morning tide. Nodding to himself, James turned Darby so that they were heading up towards the fort. Once the marines opened the gates of the fort, James dismounted and led the horse up to the stables that the fort provided for their own horses, along with those who lived away in their own homes and rode to the naval base. Hanging the saddle on the stall door, James moved through the darkened corridors of the fort.

The only noise that could be heard inside the labyrinth of corridors that was the fort was the periodic tapping of the heels of his shoe. Opening the large doors to his office, James lit a few candles with a flame of a solitary one that had been left burning and examined the papers that he left on his desk. Hanging up his hat and coat on the stand that was near the door, James took a seat behind the large desk and picked up his quill. Before getting to work James decided that the wig was not really necessary as he could not imagine someone coming into his office in the middle of such a calm night.

Several documents later, James rubbed his brow and decided it was time to retire for the night. Moving from behind the desk wearily, his back cracking slightly as he shifted himself from the suddenly uncomfortable wooden chair, James shuffled to the door which was just to the right of his desk that was wonderfully hidden from visitors by a strategically placed bookcase. He moved into the room, noting that he would have to go find water from the kitchens in the morning so he could shave. Stripping down to merely a shirt and breeches, James hopped into the small bed and hoped that the next day could be a much better improvement from the one that he just suffered through.

_~Quasso~_

Rising from the cot, James rubbed his neck and moaned deeply, the lumpy pillow not doing any favours for his spine, which had also twisted uncomfortably so that his feet would not hang over the edge. moving to the small vanity that was on the other side of the room, James inspected his face, brushing his fingers over the fine stubble that had accumulated over night and sighed, brushing the sleep from his eyes.

Going to grab the razor that sat on the vanity, James realised that he had no water and that would make the shaving far too difficult. Putting on the clothes he wore the previous day, not without cringing though, he placed his wig haphazardly on his head before leaving the safety of his office and into the crowded halls that were brimming with people. Nodding to those who stopped to salute him, James moved down to the kitchens in search of that prized water, maybe along with a cup of tea.

Stepping into the kitchens, James was suddenly hit with a rush of heat that came from all of the ovens that occupied the majority of the kitchen. He approached one of the kitchen hands and got the bowl of water that he wanted, along with a cup of tea that was to be sent to his office in a half an hour.

Moving back through the corridors, that seemed even more congested than before. Placing the bowl on the vanity, James finally got around to shaving and was nearly done before being interrupted by someone opening and then closing his office door.

With sharp words on the edge of his tongue, ready to reprimand whoever had entered his office without his consent, James moved through the door, closing it firmly behind him.

"Wha- oh, Andrew, really. Can you not knock and wait?" James said as he stared down his subordinate and friend.

"Well I was told by chef down at the kitchens to bring you a cup of tea as well as this plate of delicious fruits that look very nice James." He said with a mischievous grin.

"Please do find something to keep yourself occupied Andrew, I have to finish up these reports." James sighed as he sat behind his desk and had a long sip of the tea, enjoying the flavoursome brew that the cooks had brewed.

"Well I'm sure that talking about the elusive Miss Reynolds is something that would keep me occupied. Didn't you see her last night, at the governor's residence?"

"Yes hmm… it was rather uneventful. Oh, if you do not already know, there is to be an engagement ball" when James said engagement he made sure he said it with utter distastefulness. "If you have not been invited by my mother I invite you as I need at least someone on my side. Can you also make sure that Theo and Charlotte invited as well as I would hate for them not to come. Speaking of Theo, have you seen him lately I haven't seen him since I told him about Miss Reynolds" He paused for a second and then turned back to the papers on his desk.

"I haven't either; it is rather unusual that he has not come into the fort without leaving word. But a few days ago I sent Charlotte a letter asking about him and it seems that he has come down with a rather bad case of the flu. I was quite offended when I did not receive an invitation and I have been meaning to ask you about that James, did you forget to remind your mother that we were to come?" Andrew asked with a cheeky smile as he sat on one of the chairs that was placed at the front of James' desk.

"I was not going to get involved in that sort of business Andrew; you know that I would never get involved. That sort of work is better left up to the women who spend a great deal of time on it." James said wearily, as he leaned back in his chair and went back to his work.

_~Quasso~_

After a tedious morning that involved getting up earlier than usual to fetch a bowl of lukewarm water from the kitchens to help with his usual morning routine and then having to deal with his father who seemed to have lost even more spine since James had left home. James stood at his own front door staring at the paintwork which he noticed was beginning to slightly fade, rather reluctant to enter.

Sighing deeply, James pulled the door open and stepped into the foyer, nodding to several women who worked at the tailors who were packing their tools away. Looking around the foyer and peering into the dining room, James tried to locate his mother who would most likely be organising some of the final and most miniscule of details for the engagement ball. Pulling off his sword belt, James would head up into the library or one of the many rooms that were dedicated to either the ball or the wedding.

But luck would be on his side as he managed to stop his valet, Branson who was looking rather annoyed and asked whether he would be able to tell his mother that he was home. Once he had disappeared through the drawing room doors, James deduced that she was in there, most like with Miss Reynolds.

Branson then returned looking even more annoyed than before, told him that his mother and Miss Reynolds were both waiting for him in the drawing room. He put on a passive face, preparing for any of the insults that she could send his way and pulled the overly ornate handles down and entered the room.

"What are you doing here?" Idorea screeched as he calmly removed his hat and placed it on a side table.

"I believe I live here." James said sharply as he stared his mother down. She didn't break his gaze as she rose from her chair and moved out of the room, slamming the door noisily behind her.

It left him and Miss Reynolds both staring at each other awkwardly as they tried to process the situation that they had been put in and what was to be done next. She then broke his gaze and turned to the window. Examining her slightly, he could see that there were dark purple shadows that hung under her eyes and felt immediately guilty. Even though he had done nothing directly, he felt that he had some sort of responsibility for what his mother had done.

Before he could stop himself, he cleared his throat and spoke gently while he too looked out of the window.

"Would you mind joining me for a turn in the gardens outside?"

He watched as she jumped slightly from her seat and twisted herself around to face him, placing on a cool mask of indifference. He was ready to be knocked back and head back to the fort, but she surpised him by speaking softly. "Of course, just allow me to gather my hat and gloves, sir."

He nodded and she left the room, calling for a woman named Emma, who was obviously her maid and opened the French doors that led into the neat gardens that surrounded his property. Standing just in the doorway that separated the outside from the inside, James looked towards the docks watching as a ship moved out of the mouth of the bay. He did not notice the drawing room door open as Miss Reynolds moved from the doorway to stand beside him.

"Are you ready, Commodore?" she asked as she looked up at him, peering at him with inquisitive hazel eyes.

Realising that he had been staring for far too long, James blinked and offered his arm. "Yes, pardon me."

She placed her hand on his forearm and he led her through the doors, stepping carefully down the stairs that expanded out into a stone path. James looked towards the garden and smiled to himself. He had never really been a green thumb, preferring to work on the seas than on the earth, and so it had led him to employing a gardener to keep his gardens beautiful and matching the others in the street. he realised that his old gardener, Mr Timms, was of the age to retire. His service had been honourable and one that James had greatly enjoyed, he also noted that the garden would most likely die off and loose the charm that it had. But as he guided Miss Reynolds around the gardens, stopping every so often so that she could admire some of the plants, a snippet of conversation from the previous night appeared in his thoughts.

"… _Along with doing a bit of gardening around the manse back in England."_

He could give her the oppurtuinity to look after his garden while he was at the fort once they were married. He could let her tend after the plants in a beautiful way, which only a woman could. Along with that it would give Miss Reynolds something to do while he spent his time at the fort that was different from the usual pursuits women undertook while the men were at work.

"I understand that you enjoy gardening?" he asked as she stepped to gather a rose in her hand and smile as she inspected the petals.

Dropping the rose, she stood hastily as a faint blush appeared over her cheeks as she pushed strands of hair that had fallen across her face. "oh, yes I do Commodore."

"Well…" James stopped and cleared his throat, unable to voice his thoughts in a proper way. "As you understand in a short amount of time you will be moving from the inn where you are currently staying and onto the grounds here…" he stopped, forming the words in his mind so that they hopefully came across clear and were not offensive. "My gardener, who has looked after the garden around the manse, has done an admirable job. But in his old age, his bones are just not the same and it seems that I will need someone to maintain the gardens. After hearing that you enjoyed gardening last evening, so I thought that once you finish unpacking your belongings and settle in here, you are more than welcome to do anything in the garden." He said as he stopped at a seat that was situated on a hill that looked over the top of his house and down to the docks.

"So you expect me to garden once I move here so I can please that dragon that is your mother?" Miss Reynolds asked bluntly as she placed herself on the seat.

Flustered, Norrington hastily tried to amend what she had said "No, not at all. I was hoping that you would be able to do something apart from spend all of your time indoors, Port Royal usually has fantastic weather."

"Oh…" was all that Miss Edith said as she stared out at the bay.

"And I feel that I must apologise for what my mother said during the dinner last night. It was very much inappropriate of her and I once again apologise if she made you feel unwelcome in any sort of way." He took a deep breath before continuing, watching every emotion that crossed her pale face as she continued to stare out at the horizon. "The Governor and Miss Swann seemed to have taken a liking for you. I'm sure that you once get involved in society you will find more friends in the ladies of Port Royal."

Miss Reynolds just nodded and continued looking out to the sea, biting her lip, effectively ending the conversation between them.

**Don't forget to leave a review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Such Great Heights Chapter 8

**My friends, I am back! And on winter holidays! So there will be hopefully more frequent updates for the next two weeks, as I am starting off today! So now I bring you chapter 8 with the much anticipated engagement ball, which was a lot of fun to write! I also drew a lot of inspiration from Downton abbey, in the use of manners of everything as though it was set in the early 20****th**** century, the manners and etiquette would be the same, plus it was an excuse to watch more Downton Abbey! Hahaha, please leave a review as it would be amazing of you guys too, your encouragement and ideas are more than welcome and any mistakes that you could spot would be great to help me further in my writing! So onwards with the chapter**

A bright light invaded the darkness and made the unfortunate woman who was sleeping in the bed that also just happened to be right near the said window which had just been opened. Edith groaned and pushed her head further into the pillow and pulled the blankets up, hoping to get even a few more seconds of sleep before she was forced to get up to prepare for what would probably turn out to be one of the worst days in Port Royal so far.

"Miss Edith you must get up, Missus Norrington is expecting for us to begin getting ready soon and we must not fall behind." Emma said as she moved from the curtains and pulled Edith's robe from the cupboard, waiting for her to get up so she could place it on her shoulders.

"Well Emma, I'm sure Mrs Norrington would not mind if we were a few minutes behind schedule." Edith said as she turned to face the maid, her hair terribly mussed which would mean that she would have a great deal of fun to deal with later. Sighing heavily, Edith got up from the bed and examined Port Royal from the inn's window while she stretched. "Are we getting ready here or are we going up to the dragon's lair to prepare?" She asked, proceeding to pour herself a cup of tea as she sat in front of the vanity.

"Unfortunately so Miss. I imagine that we would not really have to deal with her too much as she would be ordering around all the others who will be filling the house." Emma said pointedly as she pinned up Edith's hair, not putting in as much effort as she usually would.

"Yes we must hope so. So that you and the other ladies can get their jobs done properly and so I can be all beautiful and proper like any wife off the Commodore should." Edith sniped the last bit of her sentence sarcastically and went looking for a dress in her wardrobe.

After eating a large breakfast in a very short amount of time, Edith and Emma gathered all of the things that they could possibly need and took a carriage up to Norrington's house. Barely stepping in the house, Edith was nearly bowled over by two men moving a chaise lounge from one room to another.

The foyer was filled with people who Edith had never seen before in her life, all wearing different clothes and doing different things. Not sure where to go, Edith and Emma stood off to one side of the room and merely observed all of the different people.

"Finally, someone would have thought that you had forgotten the most simple of things and forgot where we live! I was expecting you here much earlier, Miss Reynolds, we just have to much to do." Screeched Mrs Norrington as she walked in from the ballroom that was just off the foyer. "Honestly, we should have someone following you just to make sure you and your simple minded maid don't get lost! Now I want to head up stairs and into the bedroom that is the last one to the right at the end of the hall. There will be other women to help you get ready, seeing as you and your maid seem incapable of looking presentable, even if running from one end of town to the other." She said snidely before sweeping back into the ballroom in a flurry of skirts, insulting a man who was carrying a large glass statue.

"Well Miss, it be best that we get moving." Emma said, picking up the several boxes of jewellery and hair ornaments from the floor and moving towards the stairs.

"Yes, we better." Edith grumbled under her breath as she followed.

As soon as Edith had stepped into the room to the right at the end of the hallway, she was swept of her feet, being tugged in the direction of a bath that was filled with different, but relaxing scents that calmed Edith a bit. She then sat in the bath, being scrubbed within an inch of her life by four different maids, including Emma, who chatted away while she sat in the bath, shivering as the water became cold.

She was then pulled from the bath and a robe thrown around her shoulders before being sat down in front of a vanity in the sunlight. Edith warmed in the sun and looked out to the Port, which seemed much quieter than usual. She pulled her head back as a maid not-to-gently brought the brush through her hair, causing her to wince in pain as well.

"Go, go I can do it, Mrs Norrington has instructed me on how to her hair." Emma said moving in front of the maid who was doing her hair and taking the brush from her grip. Edith smiled as Emma pulled the brush through more gently, her hair bouncing back and glinting red as the sunshine fell on it. Edith then pulled her head back as Emma began plaiting section of it and then pinning it to the top of her head.

"So Miss, looking forward to tonight?" Emma asked quietly as she began braiding another section of hair.

"As much as people look forward to cleaning horse stables, Emma. I imagine that it will be one of the most painful nights I will suffer through since my debut." Edith said as she looked at Emma through the mirror.

"Well it will only go for a few hours. Plus I daresay that you will be the most beautiful woman there, the dress is gorgeous, even more so on you." Emma replied.

"Yes I know, but a few hours in the presence of the Commodore and his mother are a few hours too many in my books Emma. Even if some mir-" Edith was cut off as the door opened and Mrs Norrington came marching in, as if she were the Queen of England.

"No, no, no! you silly servant! That braid is meant to cross over and join with the other braid! Take it out and do it again! I will not have Miss Reynolds looking like she has just come in looking like she has just walked out of a mine!" Mrs Norrington berated as she looked at Edith's hair and then at Emma, who shrunk under her gaze and then hurriedly began re-braiding her hair.

"And you" she said turning to Edith, looking at her fiercely in the mirror "you are going to be on your best behaviour tonight. Do not answer any questions that may offend people or besmirch the good name of Norrington, your fiancé has worked hard to keep the name clean in Port Royal and whether you like it or not, you will be marrying him and this engagement party is to announce to everyone that you are the perfect English bride. Do not speak to other men and only socialise with women, you do not want people getting the wrong idea. If you do anything that will offend or make people uncomfortable around you, there will be consequences and believe me, they will be severe." Mrs Norrington stopped to look at Edith who nodded feebly back at the woman. "Now put this one once you are ready." She placed a small box on the vanity in front of her.

Edith opened the box and was met with the sight of a diamond set between two blue sapphires into a gold band. The diamond was bigger than the sapphires and the ring looked very expensive and must have cost a large sum of money. Edith looked up at Mrs Norrington curiously, wondering why the woman who hated her so would give her such a thing.

"Oh you need to wear something from your future husband. James is not welcome in this room today and I had to give it to him in his stead. It would not do for you just to going and wearing all of your faded diamonds and it would not do for you to make us look like we did not care about our future daughter in law." Mrs Norrington smirked viciously as she stared Edith down. Breaking the stare, Edith looked down to the ring that sat on the vanity in front of her.

"Oh, thank-you. You really shouldn't have though." Edith whispered as she continued to stare at the ring.

"It was not me who did this? Do you think I would do something like that? Thank my son." She said before sweeping from the room in her usual dramatic way.

Edith sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her hands over her face as she thought what would be best to say to Norrington. Emma began gently tugging her hair again, fixing up the hair that Mrs Norrington said was not properly done.

"You know Miss, I think you should make the effort to thank the Commodore, despite the fact that you do not like him. That ring must have cost a lot of money, and he must have out a lot of thought into buying the ring." Emma said as she began placing pins to hold the style.

"It's not going to make me like him anymore" Edith grumbled as she stared at the ring, not really wanting to think about the night before her.

_~Quasso~_

Hours later, after Edith's hair had been finished and another scented bath, she sat on a chair in front of the vanity again, watching various carriage's roll up the Norrington's drive. She was just about ready to be presented as the future Mrs Norrington and patiently waited as Emma placed the final piece of jewellery around her neck. Once the diamond and white gold necklace was around her neck, Emma helped her from her seat as she put on her gloves and checked herself in the mirror for one last time.

An ivory dress rested on her figure, a perfect picture of an English woman with a beautiful hourglass figure and pale skin. The sleeves only came to her elbows and were finished with lace, while the dress showed the amount of cleavage that was socially acceptable. She looked at her face that only had minimal face paint on it, as she often broke out into a rash if she wore too much, which had been learnt at her debut. Her hair had been braided in some sections which all joined at the back and secured with a ribbon, while others had been curled and rested daintily on her back and collarbone. Around her neck was the necklace that one of her good friends from England had bought her as a going-away gift, it was a plain chain that from which hung a diamond that matched the one that would rest on her left finger, as Mrs Norrington had instructed.

"Oh Miss, you look very beautiful, I'm sure the Commodore would find you stunning tonight." Emma said as she knelt to rearrange her skirts

"Thank-you Emma." Edith said as she placed her hands in ivory gloves that matched her dress, hoping that the movement would keep her mind occupied to keep the nervousness she felt showing in her voice. She looked down at the ring that lay on the vanity, before resigning herself and placing the ring on her finger and looking at Emma who had moved from her crouch.

"Do not worry miss, the night will be over soon… oh!" she said obviously remembering something. "Mrs Norrington said that you will be spending the night here, some items of your clothing have been sent over. Anyways, just have a wonderful night miss. Do not worry about what might happen because nothing should go wrong… not with the way Mrs Norrington planned." Emma muttered with a sneaky smile.

"Thank-you Emma. Once again your advice is better than I could get from any oracle" Edith said as she hugged her friend. "I wish you could be down there…"

"Do not worry, Edith" Emma said, using her first name "I shall be watching, just to see the reactions on everyone's face when you walk down those stairs." She winked at her before pushing Edith in the general direction of the door.

Laughing gently, Edith moved out of the door and down the hall to where the stairs that led to the foyer began. She could hear music and the gentle murmur of people talking and mingling together and the nerves that Emma had calmed were beginning to play up again. Taking a deep breath, Edith moved to the top step and placed a gloved hand on the railing.

As she gently stepped down, the crowd hushed as the beautiful woman moved down the stairs, their conversations pausing. Edith looked around nervously and saw that the Commodore stood uncomfortably with his parent near the bottom of the stairs. After stepping off the stairs, Edith made her way to the Commodore, noting that he looked unusually flushed. The people went back to their conversations and Edith turned to the man who coughed rather violently into a handkerchief.

"Good evening, Miss Reynolds." He said, bowing before straightening.

"Good evening Commodore, are you well?" Edith asked, once again eyeing the rather red cheeks that the Commodore had.

"Yes, thank-you. It seems that I have contracted the flu unfortunately." He replied in a monotone voice, looking out towards the crowds scanning carefully. Edith followed his gaze and saw that the Governor, his daughter Elizabeth and a man who she had never seen before. Elizabeth looked up at her and smiled encouragingly and Edith smiled back softly turning her gaze to watch as Mrs Norrington took a step forward and cleared her throat, somehow catching the attention of all of those in foyer.

"I would like to thank those who have attended tonight. This means very much to myself, my husband and my son, who looks over this town so diligently. The reason why we have invited you to be present this evening, is to announce the formal engagement between Commodore James Norrington of His Royal Highnesses Navy and Miss Edith Reynolds of London." Edith watched wide eyed as the town once turned to her, their eyes flickering between her and the Commodore. She soon became rather uncomfortable as whispering became more than whispers and placed a hopefully emotions mask on her face. "There are plans to have the official wedding ceremony take place in a few week's time." Mrs Norrington said, breaking the whispers. "Now, we welcome the happy couple into the ballroom to begin the dancing for the night" she turned to them with a malicious smile, before turning with a swish of her overly fancy gown, which was obviously purchased with the thought of trying to out-shine Edith in her mind.

The Commodore turned to Edith and offered his hand instead of his arm, sighing internally; Edith placed her hand within his and let him lead her away from the foyer into the ballroom. He looked at the ring, then back up with a slightly surprised look one his face, Edith shrugged it off and kept keeping pace with him. Norrington stopped her in the middle of the room and bowed to her before moving away from her as the music began. Recognising the music, Edith moved around the circle that the other guests had created as they watched them from the side, watching as the Commodore moved with great precision.

Edith could not help but notice the nimble way the Commodore moved his feet, despite the fact that a rather fine sheen of sweat was appearing on his face and the reddening in his cheeks became more pronounced. Moving back towards him, Edith stopped and curtseyed once the music stopped and held her hand for Norrington to take.

Instead of being led to where the drinks were, Norrington led them to where two men stood in naval uniforms along with a woman who wore a rather worn dress that did not really fit in with the rest of the fancy dresses that the rest of the women of Port Royal wore. Edith looked at the Commodore curiously before folding her hands serenely in front of her and waited for the Commodore to introduce her to the people in front of her.

Coughing a little, the commodore finally spoke up and rasped "Miss Reynolds" he paused to clear his throat. "Miss Reynolds, this is Lieutenants Andrew Gillette and Theodore Groves. You met Gillette when you first arrived." He added "And this is lieutenant Groves' wife, Charlotte" he said, gesturing to the woman who wore the worn dress.

Edith watched as the two mean bowed and then straightened, before flashing her a smile. "It is wonderful to finally met you Miss Reynolds, James won't stop talking about you." Gillette? Or was it Groves said with a smile.

"Ignore him, Andrew is quite the joker. Pleasure to meet you Miss Reynolds, much has been said about you, and it is also nice to put a name to a face." Groves said as his wife placed her hand on his forearm.

"Likewise, Lieutenant Groves." Edith said with a smile. "Along with you, Mrs Groves."

"Please call me Charlotte, I do not care for formalities." Said the younger woman.

"Oh, then I insist that you must call me Edith. I do too not care much for formalities." Edith said before turning and seeing that the Commodore was in a rather deep discussion with the two lieutenants.

"How have you found Port Royal? I know it must be such a shock, coming from a place like London to a place like here. I was rather shocked when I moved here, but then I met Theodore and I guess the rest is history."

"It is rather beautiful from what I have seen. I have not had much of an opportunity to go out and explore yet, it has been a lot of work trying to plan this party tonight along with the wedding. I would like to explore it one day, before I am married." Edith explained.

"Maybe one day we can take a trip to town, so you can explore all of the different shops that are down here. You would simply not believe that there are a lot of different shops here, despite its rather isolated location." Charlotte smiled.

"That would be nice. I spend most of my time indoors, I would actually enjoy going out." Edith smiled as she brushed away a piece of hair that kept on insisting that it would have to stay in her eyes.

"Oh, did James buy that?" Charlotte asked as she saw the ring that rested on Edith's left ring finger. "It is very beautiful, something that he would buy, nothing too big. It suits you as well." Charlotte said as she looked up at Edith.

Edith struggled to formulate an answer to respond to the kind comment that Charlotte made. She could not tell her that she did not like the Commodore at all and that she was very unwilling to get married to him as she seemed to be a very good friend of his. And then the other option was to lie, which was something Edith's mother had always said was wrong, despite what situation she was put in.

"Yes, it is rather beautiful, the Commodore is very generous" Edith replied carefully, looking at the ring which reflected the lights that hung above the two women.

Charlotte did not have enough time to reply as Mrs Norrington came weaving through the people, before stopping in front of Edith.

"Edith, dear. We must get moving, there are people that want to meet the person who has stolen the Commodore's heart." She said with a great deal of venom in her voice as she looked at Charlotte. Edith felt obliged to speak up and defend her new friend, one of the very few people apart from the Norrington's who had spoken with her since she first arrived, but just bowed her head respectfully and followed Mrs Norrington as she pulled her through the crowd.

_~Quasso~_

By the end of the night, Edith's head hurt and her feet ached. The head ache was not because of the large amounts of alcohol on offer, as her mother had taught her that drinking alcohol was un-lady like, but from the fact that she had spent the whole night, moving from person to person and putting on a happy façade. Her feet ached from the new shoes that she was wearing, the heels making her feet ache, along with her back. But as she stood at the side of the ballroom, watching the Commodore and his parents send off the guests, she knew that nothing more would happen for the rest of the night once the guests left was getting into bed and trying to forget the night.

At points it became rather embarrassing, especially when she was left with a group of some of Port Royals younger ladies, who had glared at her and made her feel unwelcome. She did not understand why she was getting treated in such a way, as she had never seen any of these women before. Edith looked around for someone to help her and saw that Charlotte was engaged in a rather lively dance with her husband, and decided to let them be, as they seemed to be having an honestly good time.

So the next person she could turn to was Elizabeth, the governor's daughter, who stood next to the man who Edith had never seen in Elizabeth's company before. After a rather lively chat with the governor, Edith was introduced to William Turner, who turned out to be Elizabeth's fiancé. But after that the conversation between them was forced and awkward, with Edith escaping under the pretence of needing something to drink.

The rest of the night was spent with Edith standing on the outside of conversations, not really listening as people talked about a whole range of topics, and then eventually moving to the wall to just stand and watch, just like she did back in England. She noticed that the Commodore was looking rather worse for wear and the slight sheen of sweat had turned into a rather large amount of sweat that was wiped off every five minutes or so. He also seemed uncomfortable talking to some of the people who lived in Port Royal as Edith noticed that his eyes often travelled around the room trying to find the two lieutenants.

Once the final guest had left the foyer, Edith picked her skirts up and began walking over to the Norrington's, intending to thank them for the effort that they had put in for the evening and then head straight to her room for a good night's rest. Standing in front of them, Edith curtseyed slightly, before speaking up.

"Thank-you for the wonderful evening. It was very beautiful and the people who I talked to enjoyed themselves greatly and I am most grateful for all that you have done." Edith said.

"Hmm, yes, it seems that this is one of the best parties that Port Royal has seen in a while, people will talk about this until the wedding…" Mrs Norrington trailed off and then jolted, as if she had suddenly remembered someone. "Oh, there is something that I found out earlier this afternoon; James will be on patrol for the day that we have planned the wedding so we will have it a week earlier. You don't mind do you dear?" Mrs Norrington smirked at her before turning on her heel and began to ascend the stairs, Admiral Norrington trailing after her.

Screaming internally, Edith turned to the Commodore who immediately said after his mother was out of hearing range "I'm very sorry, I tried to arrange so that I would not have to go out so soon, but merchant ship is leaving the same day and Mother has her heart set that she plans to be on that merchant ship. We are then obliged to protect the merchant ship out of Caribbean waters until it can meet up with another Royal Navy Vessel at the American Colony of Georgia. Then there will be a patrol for a few weeks in Caribbean waters after we stock up at Georgia. I apologise in advance for leaving you in the house so much, especially in the few weeks, but I have an obligation to his Majesty's Royal Navy." He explained. "I also would like to apologise for the way my mother broke it to you, I was planning to speak with you tomorrow, but as you can see…" he trailed off, looking at Edith earnestly.

Edith then felt obliged to speak up. "I do not mind much, it is just that it has been a few long weeks since I have arrived." She paused before continuing. "I also want to thank you for the ring. It is very beautiful and I am sure I will treasure it very much, though you did not have to buy me such a thing."

"Do not worry about it, Miss Reynolds. You have come across the oceans to be a part of this. It is the very least I could do."

With one last glance at the Commodore's face Edith turned and said goodnight to the Commodore before retiring to her room for a well-deserved night's rest.

**On fanfiction's website they have updated the review thing so now you can leave one in that box just down there. Can you see it? If so, leave a review, reading your comments is fantastic and they make me write faster ;) an update will be coming soon, I promise x Libellus **


	9. Chapter 9

Such Great Heights Chapter 9

**Well, hello. I'm back for another instalment and I apologise from the bottom of my heart about the lack of updates. I could offer the excuse that I was on holidays with no internet, but I did have my laptop so that becomes invalid. And fangirling over the fact that they are showing SMASH in Australia (with the lovely Mr Jack Davenport in it) is probably not a really good excuse. The reason why I have not written as many chapters as I would have liked to was because I simply did not feel like writing. I offer no other excuse. Anyways, thank you lovely readers for your reviews and support which I love. Thanks to those who have favourite-d the story and who have added it to your alerts… it also seems that I have created a monster, but she will feature more prominently in the next chapter, that is my promise to you people. Well, that is all my lovely readers and I will try to update as soon as possible. Some more reviews would be lovely as well. Anyways, go forth and read my friends!**

James woke up with a slight pounding in his head and groaned as he moved from his bed, the little alcohol he had the evening before reminding him that work at the fort today would be near impossible. He rolled over and buried his head in the pillow and groaned in a most un-commodorely way, before gripping the bed sheets and hauling himself from the bed. His head seemed not to agree with him as he got up and the pounding intensified for a few long minutes, before settling into a rhythm that just dully pounded the back of his skull. Moving around his bed chambers, James begun to get ready for the day, fighting bouts of dizziness. He looked out of the window and saw that rain was coming down in thick sheets, which would make the roads muddy, despite the cobblestone that had been laid years before. James then moved to another window and looked out to the bay, in which the water churned and ships wobbled dangerously on the water. Usually ships such as the Dauntless was sheltered from such weather, but today it was being battered by strong winds and pushed dangerously close to rocks.

Shaking his head slightly, James opened the curtains fully before moving from the room and down the steps to the dining room. Taking his customary seat at the head of the table, James breathed a sigh of relief. His mother was not awake and launching her tirade of insults at anyone or anything she could find, while his father sat passively by her side and didn't get involved and try to stop her. As he pursued the letters that had been left on the table, the silence in the room was interrupted by his cook, as well as maid, Mary.

"Oh, Commodore I was expecting you a bit later." She said flustered as she leaned forward over him so she could lay out the table. "Would you like tea? And what about something to eat?"

"Tea and some toast with eggs would be wonderful Mary. Is there much to be done today?" he asked as he placed down the letter and turned around slightly in her chair.

"No, sir. There is not a great deal of work that needs to be completed today, just a bit of sweeping and putting away, nothing to stressful." She said before bobbing into a quick curtsey and exiting the room.

At least there had not been a great deal of mess. James could remember when his mother held parties in London and they had a rather great reputation of quickly getting out of control, with many scandals being started in the back gardens. James never really went to any of those parties, being too young for some of them, and then missing a great deal of them while he was a midshipman. He had attended one before he was about to leave for England, and vowed that he would avoid his mother's parties after a rather interesting morning following the party, which involved a very scandalised London, several ladies who had spent the night with his brother and a rather angry mother who placed the blame on him. It had all in all been one of the first things that had turned James off attending parties held by those influential in society.

Eating his breakfast slowly, James then moved to his study where he spent another good five minutes staring at the atrocious weather, before deciding that the fort would have to wait for the weather, and his headache to pass. Despite the fact that he was at home and that he had hosted a ball the night before, James felt some sort of responsibility towards his work, because of the fact that there would be no time in the coming weeks. There were miscellaneous things that needed to be done, such as working out the expenses for food and new supplies for some ships, James set down to work, before remembering that one of the books he needed, had been left in his office back at the fort. Nearly letting out a groan, James tried to think if there was a way, that he could possibly get the work done without this book. He looked at the shelves that lined the study, thinking that he had a copy of the same book that had been gifted to him, and then he realised that the book would most likely be in the upstairs library as it did not have much to do with his interests, like the other books in his study.

James moved carefully from his study, hoping that his mother would not catch a glimpse of him and then ask him meaningless questions about what was going to happen the day he and Miss Reynolds wed. The wedding was going to be relatively simple, despite what his mother argued, with only a small number of guests going, with Miss Reynolds having no family with her and James only wanting a very select few people who he wanted to attend. There was nothing special to celebrate during the occasion, and judging from the way Miss Reynolds acted around him, she found the occasion far from special as well.

As he approached the library, he heard Miss Reynolds feminine voice, speaking softly to whomever else was in the room. James knocked and was greeted with a frosty "enter" much like the way he would speak to those who sought entry into his office at the fort.

He opened the door and watched as a frosty expression, which matched her tone, slipped away from her face and a surprised and rather embarrassed expression took place. "Oh Commodore, I apologise. I thought it was… someone else" she said, words tumbling from her mouth, before pausing and leaving 'your mother' hanging around in the air. James noticed that Miss Reynolds had curled herself upon a couch that faced a wide window that gave an excellent view of the back garden and the lush green hills that were usually unnoticed because of the wonderful ocean views. Miss Reynolds' maid, had also been sitting upon an armchair, but had jumped up from her chair when he had entered the room. He waved her down before moving through the shelves, looking for the elusive book. Miss Reynolds had seemed rather upset at him the night before, if the way she went to retire for the night was any indication. She had seemed not to enjoy the night as she had made it out to be in front of his parents, and James noticed many times throughout the night that she looked upset and was not talking to those around her. Though James could not blame her, many of the women who he had spoken to the night before, seemed rather upset and their mothers were even worse, giving short and snappy answers instead of being more than polite to him.

"Ah" he said picking the book from its dusty place in the shelf, before wiping his hand across the cover, to remove the dust mites that had gathered over time. The books in this room were very rarely ever moved, as his favourite novels sat in his office along with any other naval texts. As he made his way back to the door, he just called out to Miss Reynolds. "Do you need anything? Have you breakfasted? I can send something up." He said, looking at the woman who had stopped reading once again so that she could look up at him.

"No thank-you Commodore, we are quite alright. Do you happen to know by any chance if your mother is awake, a fair warning would be nice." She smiled at him slightly as she spoke.

"I believe that she is taking breakfast with my father in the dining room. I believe she had plans to take you out today, but it seems that the weather has interfered with that." He smiled at her a bit, just letting that mask he wore disappear for a few seconds before he placed it back on firmly. "Good day" he said before opening one of the double doors to the library and disappearing down the hallway.

_~Quasso~_

"Merlot or Pinot, James, Theo? These wines may be French but they are bloody good." Andrew said as he held up two green bottles in either hand.

"Merlot please Andrew." James said as he reclined in one of the comfortable and worn chairs that sat in the Groves' parlour. It was the night when the four friends gathered at Theo's house for dinner, and James would never miss it for the world, as it was one of the rare times when he could let his guard down and enjoy himself.

"So James, you and Miss Reynolds are now formally engaged. When is the wedding?" Andrew asked as he took as seat and handed James his wine glass.

"Two weeks from today." James said dryly before taking a sip from the glass.

Theo spluttered and coughed as he digested the information, Charlotte sitting by his side with her own glass of wine, patted him on the back gently and looked at James with a shocked expression on her face.

"That is definitely not enough time to organise a wedding! Mine and Charlotte's took 9 months to organise! There is no way you can organise a wedding in such time!" Theo said as he looked at Charlotte, who nodded in confirmation. James leant back and closed his eyes, not in the mood to discuss the upcoming wedding.

"Well if my lovely mother is to hear any of that, I'm sure she would say that it is not entirely impossible." James said, letting his friends figure out how he was feeling by the tone of his voice.

"Have you spoken to Edith, what is her opinion on this?" Charlotte asked. "She is a very kind person. She is very beautiful to; I can see why your mother would want her to be your wife."

"I do not know Miss Reynolds opinion on this, though at times she seems rather angry and upset with my mother, who has not helped matters. To be honest it seems that she does not want to be here and even less married to me." James said as he tried to avoid the gaze of his friends. He had been having inklings of what was feeling, and especially after his mother had shot her and her interests down, in such a way that left her in tears. He did not know what it felt like to be a part of an arranged marriage and moved from one side of the world to another. James also knew that she did not love him, and she probably never would.

"Well, I'm sure James that she will go through the plans with her head held high. She will warm up to Port Royal, and more importantly; you." Charlotte smiled at him softly before turning back to her other guests and taking a slow sip from the wine in her hands.

"Well, we'll have to celebrate the end of James' bachelorhood anyway. Who knows what married life may hold for the Scourge of Piracy?" Andrew said he looked at James while wiggling his eyebrows mischievously.

"Hopefully not much, Andrew. And whatever you are implying, stop thinking of it right now, I doubt I would agree to the latest plan that you have concocted in that mind of yours." James rumbled as he leaned back.

"The marriage is for children, correct James?" Charlotte asked.

That part of the whole affair was a sore point for the Commodore. Not only was he and a beautiful young woman being pushed into a marriage that none of them they wanted, they were also expected to produce children, so that one of them could continue the Norrington name. Despite the family environment that he had grown up in, James had always believed that children were a way of showing love between a man and woman, not just people who were to carry on a name. But there was no arguing with his mother, who would be most disappointed if he failed to keep the Norrington line continuing, and he had reluctantly come to accept the fact that he would be continuing the line. He could sense that if Miss Reynolds was greatly reluctant to enter the marriage, that she would be even more unwilling to bear children.

"Yes, it is my parent's wishes that there is a son produced." James said, the downcast feelings slipping into his voice.

"Well, tonight has taken a bit of turn, let's have dinner, Charlotte has prepared a wonderful tomato soup." Theo said as he rose from his seat.

As James rose from his seat, he felt a gentle hand on his arm and raised his gaze to look at Charlotte, who smiled back gently before moving ahead of him into the kitchen.

_~Quasso~_

The rain had thankfully stopped, but with it brought a barmy heat in its aftermath that made trying to do anything near impossible. It made the atmosphere sticky and a sweat could be worked up without even doing anything, which was a hazard for those who had to wear heavy clothing. It was times like these that James cursed the duties that came along with being a member of high standing society, the clothes that had to be worn were far too heavy and more suited to the cold winters of London rather than the hot days that were in sunny Jamaica. The only thing that James could do was to shed his heavily brocaded naval jacket, which helped some, but the standards of society dictated that to take any other items of clothing off was as good as being undressed. So, he soldiered through the humidity, continuing to work as normal as possible, despite the fact that it seemed that the weather had slowed down the productivity at the fort.

It seemed that for some reason, the heat that had continued for half a week had decided that today was the best day for it to peak. James, his parents and Miss Reynolds had gathered at his house for luncheon, before departing in the carriage for the church to begin preparations for the wedding. The banns still had to be written and the payment for the license was also to be accomplished. James knew there would be no point in trying to get out of this particular duty as his mother had been crabby and annoyed with the heat that she had never really experienced, and he would be a fool to attempt anything that would make her anymore irritated.

Inside the carriage, it was sweltering. The atmosphere was tense and James cursed the man who thought it would be a splendid idea to build Port Royal's small church on the highest hill. His mother fanned herself constantly; the feathers on her fan were beginning to flutter around the carriage and then disappeared out of the window. She complained that the weather was not suitable and if the same weather was to occur on the wedding day the wedding would have to be pushed back. His father sat passively next to her, nodding as she continued talking in the same spineless way he had since they had arrived in the Port. Miss Reynolds clutched her fan in her hand, her eyes closing every so often as she looked out the window, catching a soft breeze. James sighed softly before turning his head to also gaze out of one of the windows, the weight of his heavy coat and the desire to cast the wretched thing off.

Eventually, the carriage pulled up at the church and James departed the thing as soon as it's wheels had stopped rolling, wanting to finish up the bloody task as quickly as possible so he could return to the cool walls of the fort. He stood by as his father helped his mother out of the carriage and then stepped forward to help Miss Reynolds. He offered her his hand as she stepped gently onto the ground, watching as she took one look at the sky before adjusting her hat and opening her fan. James then held his arm for her, which she took with a small amount of hesitation, and they moved into the back room of the church where the vicar was sitting at a desk, polishing some sort of silver wear.

The vicar rose from his sear when the door opened. "Good day Commodore, can I help you with something?" he addressed James directly.

"Yes, you could." Idorea Norrington said as she stepped in front of her son "I need to arrange the banns and also apply for a marriage licence for my son and his fiancée."

"Of course" the vicar stammered, a little taken back "and the ceremony, when do you wish for that to be performed?"

"In two weeks, from the day."

'I'm not sure that can be achieved, usually a months' notice is given at least." The vicar continued to stammer.

"Well it can be and it will be, I need it to be done by then." Idorea said her tone and posture stubborn.

"Of course, now about the banns…"

_~Quasso~_

James breathed in deeply as he exited the back of the church, the temperature cooling off as the sun began its descent. Miss Reynolds followed hastily behind him, fanning herself furiously as she took in deep breaths. The room at the back of the church quickly became stuffy and leaving the room was a blessing, the fresh air a welcome relief. James trained his gaze on the port and watched as men rowed out to the _Dauntless _to swap the patrols on deck for the night, allowing himself a moment of self-satisfaction for his tight schedules. His mother and father were still inside, talking to the vicar about arrangements for before the wedding on decorating the church and rooms for the bride and groom. In one way, he was happy that his mother decided that it would be best for her to arrange the whole wedding, only asking for his opinion once every so often.

Behind him, James heard shallow breathing and turned to see Miss Reynolds bending over slightly as she fanned herself at such a pace which made him wonder why she had not broken a wrist. But as he continued to watch a bit longer, he noticed that she was struggling to take a breath. His mind raced, going back to what happened on that fateful day when Jack Sparrow had entered his life. Eyes widening he moved to the woman and placed a gentle hand on her arm.

She looked at him, her hazel eyes wide as she gasped for a breath. "I'm fine, do not worry yourself Commodore." She continued to try to breath, this time a little harder as she spoke.

James knew that this was not good, despite his best efforts he had much experience of dealing with fainting women, and those were stories he would not care to repeat. He gently wrapped his fingers around her skinny arm and pulling her to the stone fence that wound its way around the perimeter of the church. He sat her down and untied the ribbon from underneath her chin, before sitting next to her and casting a watchful eye over her. Soon, her breathing began to slow and a faint red colour graced her cheeks.

"Do you need a glass of water?" he asked cautiously.

"No thank you, Commodore. It was just a little bit too warm in there for my liking, nothing to worry about." She said quietly.

"I understand that the weather is not to your liking either?" he continued the conversation.

"No, not really. I like the warm weather, but this is just unbearable. Is it like this often?" Miss Reynolds asked as she too, gazed out at the horizon.

"It can be like this at times, there is not four seasons here like in England. There are only two seasons, the wet and the dry." James explained the words of the first captain he was under in the Caribbean repeating in his head.

"And what season are we currently in?" she asked, a small flame of curiosity flickering in her eyes.

"We are currently entering the wet season" James would have mentioned the hurricanes but he decided that a woman should not have such worry upon her shoulders.

"I guess that explains the rain that we have been having recently." She laughed gently before turning her head sharply. James followed her gaze and noticed that his parents were exiting the church, saying their goodbyes to the vicar before climbing into the carriage. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of them sitting together before she opened her mouth.

"James hurry up" she scolded him like he was ten again "we have not got all day and I would like to head back and cool down in the parlour."

Groaning as his knees cracked, James offered his hand to Edith who had already gotten up and grasped it before leaving for the carriage. He helped her up into the carriage before taking his seat next to her, as always.

**Apologies, this is a bit shorter than usual. But I wanted to get it out before I go back to school, and I have been struggling with the current events in this story as I try to figure out what will happen on later in the story (and I seem to be plotting it whenever I get a spare moment), so this chapter suffered in the process. But I hope you enjoyed a bit of James, I certainly did, and don't forget to leave a review on your way out. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Such Great Heights Chapter 10**

**Hey guys, sorry about the wait I am trying my best to update about every two weeks, but life has delayed this a bit, along with other things. Everything in this chapter I have tried to make as historically accurate as possible, but with little information about such things as cooking techniques I am going on what information I have been given. Anyway, moving on, this will be the last sort of filler chapter before the wedding begins and the real fun starts, finally. Apologies again about how long this has taken, I went back to school and got a little more homework than I envisaged, also this chapter hasn't been edited because I wanted it to go up straight away because I thought I have left you waiting too long. Anyway, you people are all amazing for reviewing and leaving comments about this story, your words of kindness bring so much happiness to my day and it would be even more wonderful than James Norrington coming to my house to whisk me away from my boring, run-of-the-mill life, if you guys could continue your support and keep leaving reviews! That's all I have to say for now… so enjoy and keep reading!**

Edith breathed a sigh of relief, a feeling of freedom seeping into her bones. The breeze gently shifted her hair and she smiled up at the sun, joy filling her person. Finally she had managed to escape the clutches of Mrs Norrington and the stuffy rooms of the mansion, which she were to sit in for hours upon hours, even if it was only for a day.

For the past week, Mrs Norrington had kept Edith locked up inside, muttering about how her wedding dress was such a disaster. It had been painful as Edith and her grandmother had been very close, before she passed away the year before Edith was put into the public's eye for courting and then eventually marriage and the rude comments about the dress stung her deeply. On top of that, there were little details that just had to be taken care of which Edith did not care for with such things as what colour flowers should accompany the other flowers in the bouquet . To add to her frustrations, the Commodore was not being condemned to this torture, despite being the other partner in the marriage. She was annoyed that he was able to go to that fort of his and hide out all day from his mother, while Edith dealt with the absolute dragon of a woman. This meant that she and Emma would have to spend their daytime hours listening to Mrs Norrington complain and insult anyone who owned some sort of shop or business that was related to the wedding because of their utter and complete disorganisation. It was all rather embarrassing for them while they stood to the side and watched helplessly.

But someone had come to rescue Edith that morning, a while before she was expected at the Norrington residence, a knock sounded on the door of the room she and Emma shared. Edith was in the middle of getting ready for the day, sitting at the vanity while Emma did her hair in a simple but sophisticated style before the noise was heard and Emma left to answer the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought Miss Reynolds was staying in this room, the keep told me that she was staying here." Edith heard as she leaned her body back to hear the conversation.

"Actually Miss Reynolds is staying here, may I ask you name though?" Emma responded politely.

"Oh, sorry. It's Charlotte Groves, Edith may remember me from the party a couple of nights previous." Hearing that sentence, Edith's face lit up and the prospect of changing her daily routine made her nearly giddy with excitement.

"Charlotte come in! I was planning to speak to you soon!" she called from her seat. Emma walked briskly back and began pinning up the hair that had been left hanging down her back while she answered the door.

Charlotte looked around, surveying her surroundings before her gaze focused on Edith. "Oh I'm sorry. I thought that I would have missed you." Edith watched as a blush formed on the woman's cheeks.

"Do not worry, Charlotte. We were just getting ready." Edith replied as Emma tugged on her hair, doing it so that the style was simple yet sophisticated.

"Well, seeing as how the events have played out, I was wondering if you would like to spend the day exploring what you haven't seen of Port Royal." A smile grew on Charlotte's face as she spoke and Edith felt a nervous wave of excitement run over her.

Oh, how Edith longed to get out and explore what was to be her home for most likely the rest of her days and learn secrets about the town as such where the finest bread was made and fruit sold. But then came her obligation to Mrs Norrington that had taken all her time since arriving. Despite the fact that Edith strongly disliked Mrs Norrington, she was not able to let those feelings get in way of how she was meant to act and deport herself around her. She was planning her entire wedding, even though Edith didn't want any part in it, she still had to act like the grateful fiancée as her parents were in England. Well that was how society wanted her to act and Edith did not want to overstep the rules and bring herself into embarrassment in front of the people she would see frequently because of her position as wife to the Commodore. She weighed her options, knowing that Mrs Norrington would be less than pleased if she went out without any further notice, but the longing for an adventure outside of the walls of the inn or Commodore Norrington's house was simply to strong.

"Well I suppose that maybe for one day…" Edith trailed off. She then turned to Emma, telling her to grab her hat before remembering what situation she would be put in if was by herself. "Oh Emma… I didn't think."

"Do not worry Miss Edith, I was going to meet with Mary, who runs the Norrington house before I settle in after the wedding." Emma explained as she took the sign that Edith had stood up to retrieve her hat and gloves.

"Oh, will you be meeting at the Norrington house?" Edith asked as she pulled the gloves around her elbows.

"No, Mary insisted that we meet here. Is there a time that I shall be expecting you back?" Emma asked as she straightened the hat on Edith's head before stepping back. Edith looked at Charlotte, searching for an answer from the other woman.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to dine at my husband's and mine residence tonight, so I guess now is as good as time as any. Would you like to join us?" Charlotte smiled and Edith felt she had no other option but accept the invitation.

"I would be delighted to. Emma I will be seeing you see, if anything happens" Edith stopped to reinforce the fact that the 'anything' would be Mrs Norrington "don't hesitate to contact me." Edith gave her one last smile before turning from the room and looking at Charlotte.

"Are you ready?" Charlotte asked "alright then, I suppose we must get moving."

_~Quasso~_

Port Royal was bustling, the midday sun high overhead as people moved from one shop to another, carefully browsing the wears that the shop keepers presented to them. People on the dock worked, calling out to each other and trying to get the best prices for the catch of the day. A light breeze rustled the palm trees that lined the place where the beach and road met. Edith and Charlotte pleasantly strolled around the streets, often going into the shops and admiring the different and exotic things that were on offer. There were pendants of jade which had come from Asia and beautiful diamonds from the Africa region. Exotic items such as rocks came from the local islands that were not populated by savages along with beautiful flowers that had been pressed in books.

As they exited the shop, both not finding anything that really caught there interest, Edith and Charlotte continued along the strip of shops before stopping out the front of a store that made dresses for the more wealthy people of Port Royal. At the front was a beautiful white dress which was modelled on a mannequin with a veil perched on the head of it, a pair of matching shoes resting next to the mannequin. Edith looked at the dress and nearly shuddered at the thought that she would be in a dress like that, in no less than two days

"I wish I had a dress like that" Edith her Charlotte sigh from beside her. She then turned to Edith with inquisitive eyes. "Are you wearing a dress like that or is it going to be a surprise for all those who live in Port Royal?"

Edith sighed, she hoped to avoid the subject of the upcoming wedding which was in less than three days. But she could not deny Charlotte, she was merely being inquisitive. "I will be wearing the dress my grandmother wore. But we have fixed it up some so that it matches with modern styles."

"So that is something old, the ring is something new." Charlotte gazed down at the ring on Edith's hand, which she had admittedly became used to wearing. "Have you got something old or something blue?"

"Emma is going to weave blue ribbon through my hair and use it to tie the flowers in the church. I haven't decided on something borrowed." Edith sighed softly, looking up at the sun.

"I have the perfect thing that you can borrow and I'm sure it will match the ring perfectly!" charlotte smiled at Edith "We will have to begin getting back to my house as well; I need to begin to prepare dinner. It's a bit of a walk, I hope you don't mind."

As it turned out, it wasn't much of walk to the Groves residence, as it was located to the other side of the fort and away from the busy rush of the Port. Edith nearly gasped as she saw the house. It was beautiful. Not in a sort of garish way that most of the larger houses in Port Royal were, but it was beautiful in the way that it was a perfect _home. _A large vegetable garden occupied most of the front yard, with all sorts of plants springing up from the ground. The house itself was a modest two story house and was very small compared to the one the Commodore lived in and the one that Edith lived in when she was England. It was a soft white colour with a red paint rimming the windows and the door. It was classical and timeless with ivy beginning to grow up the side.

"It's beautiful Charlotte." Edith gasped as they opened the gate and moved through the hall. The furniture was _worn _and actually looked as if it had been used compared to the furniture that Edith was used to with it always looking brand new. A few paintings occupied the walls and various things were scattered around, making it even feel more like a house that was used, not just one used for the sake of trying to show other people up.

"I'm sure it's very different from what you are used to?" Charlotte inquired as she moved towards the back of the house where the kitchen was located.

"Yes." Edith breathed "Do you have any servants?"

"No" Charlotte answered. As Edith continued to gaze at the small house that was so beautiful in a quaint and elegant way, she wondered how it was kept so clean. Every house that she had ever visited was bustling with maids and butlers doing various jobs that needed to be attended and the idea of one woman looking after a house, no matter what size, was something that Edith had a hard time imagining. There would be so much to do, sweeping the rooms, making the bed, cleaning the furniture, washing clothes, going to town to buy food, making dinner were amongst some of the tasks that would have to be done.

"Oh, you must be kept busy quite often then. The house is very beautiful and well kept; I can't believe that one woman is able to achieve this… this splendour and beauty all by herself." Edith complemented truthfully, not buttering up to Charlotte, the house was truly spectacular.

Charlotte laughed as she pulled a large package from a little cellar that was under the floor boards and began to unwrap it, inside was a large chunk of meat, enough to feed at least five people comfortably and began to soak it in stock which had been bubbling away over a fire. "Take a seat Edith, we will be here quite a while."

Edith watched as the woman put the meat onto a spit before letting it cook on the spit for a couple of hours, being rotated every so often. Charlotte than began pottering around her kitchen, chopping vegetables that were going to accompany the dish. Suddenly, Edith felt very useless, just sitting and watching as charlotte prepared the dinner. She never entered the kitchens at her house or at the Norrington's unless it was completely necessary, but as she watched the only true friend that she had in Port Royal, apart from Emma, she felt that it would be more polite to get up and help her.

"Is there any way I can help?" she asked as she stood from her seat and removed her gloves.

Charlotte turned with a questioning look in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a shining in them and she moved from where she was preparing to peel potatoes and grabbed an apron from the bottom draw. "I'm sure you won't want that dress of getting dirty so just put this on." Edith accepted the apron, unfolding it and then tying it around her waist.

"So what can I do?" asked Edith as she came to stand next to Charlotte. She watched for a moment as Charlotte peeled the potatoes, before Charlotte gave her the knife and placed the peel which had been separated from the potato into a bowl and the potato into another. "it would be wonderful if you could peel the rest of these, I have to cut the beans."

Edith nodded and smiled and then began to carefully peel the potatoes, knowing that it was her first time ever doing something like cook for others and trying not to accidently cut herself with the sharp knife.

The two women soon fell into rhythm around the kitchen, both of them working around each other and being able to know when to move so that one woman could access things around the other woman could grab it. They talked about various topics, regaling each other with stories about their childhood and growing up in England or talking about other topics such as their favourite foods. Edith felt light, free even. Just being able to escape Mrs Norrington for a day had made her relax a lot more than she usually would and spending that time with a friend made it even more special.

It was only very rarely that the thought of how the mother of the Commodore would react. Edith knew that undoubtedly Mrs Norrington would be upset when she went to the Norrington manse to finalise any plans or details that were set for the next day tomorrow morning. She knew that she did deserve to be berated, leaving and going somewhere without anyone knowing about it was something that Edith didn't usually do. But the pull of freedom was far too strong and won her over, and once Edith make that decision she knew that she would have to deal with the consequences.

Once everything was done and the fire was gently cooking and steaming various foodstuffs, Charlotte gently pulled on the edge of Edith's sleeve and motioned for her to follow her through the house. After climbing a set of stairs that gently creaked with every step they took, Charlotte opened a set of doors that obviously lead to her what was her bedroom. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Edith lingered in the hallway, watching as the woman took a few steps in before turning around and telling her "come in, I want to show you this." She said as she walked to a vanity which was sitting opposite the end of the bed and picked up a box. Edith moved in and stood next to Charlotte as she opened the box. Inside lay a beautiful gold link bracelet, which held no great extravagance but was elegant in its own simple way and not flashy or ostentatious at all. "Now I know I have only known you for a week, Edith, but I feel that we will become better friends as time passes." Charlotte said when a look of disbelief passed over Edith's face. "Our…" she trailed off mid thought, her face twisting as if she were looking for something "…husbands have been friends for years, and it seems that while they are friends, we will undoubtedly be friends. And seeing as that you haven't had the opportunity yet to make many new friends in Port Royal, I thought that this would be a perfect way to start off a hopefully long and happy friendship."

All of the arguments and excuses Edith had thought up in her head had dissolved as Charlotte spoke. The words had been so sincere and heartfelt that no argument could ever top the sentences that she had spoken. Edith knew in that very moment that she had truly made her first friend in Port Royal, someone who cared for her outside of Emma. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes and suddenly Edith wrapped her arm around her new friend, one she cherished more than she did with any of her friends in England. "Thank-you so much, Charlotte." She whispered into her friends shoulder.

Charlotte pulled back and smiled at Edith before pulling her into another hug. They stood there for a few moments, Edith enjoying the warmth that the hug brought, before Charlotte pulled back and smiled wryly. "I think that the meat is well cooked." She said before gathering the bracelet and putting it in the pockets of Edith's skirt before moving down the stairs. Edith wiped her eyes and then followed her friend down the stairs.

Edith moved into the kitchen and watched as Charlotte carefully removed the meat from the spit and began carefully carving it. She then went to grab the vegies which were steaming in a pot that hung over the fire and began placing them on a plate. As she placed the steamed carrots and broccoli onto a chipped serving plate, Edith was startled by the opening of the front door, but Charlotte smiled reassuringly at her before moving to the door of the kitchen.

"Hello my dear, whatever you are cooking it smells beau- oh," Theodore Groves gave his wife a kiss before his gaze landed on Edith, who was standing at the bench, not sure what to do with herself. He bowed before greeting her "good evening Miss Reynolds."

"Good evening" Edith replied as she went back to getting the food ready.

"I hope you don't mind but Andrew and James are coming a bit later, they had some work to finish up at the thought and apparently James' mother has been in a foul mood…" Theodore trailed off when he spoke about James' mother and looked at Edith who was biting her cheek.

"Don't worry; I'm sure I cooked enough." Charlotte laughed before putting the plate of meat near the fire, "Edith can you help me set the table?"

_~Quasso~_

When Edith heard the door open and the gentle murmur of two male men, her palms expectantly became sweaty under the heavy plate of food she was carrying. Theodore left the kitchen and went to direct them to the dining room so that dinner could get underway. Charlotte gave her a smile before moving out of the kitchen and through the door to the modest dining room.

"…Yes, we will be then going around the area that is done for patrols, Captain Granger will be looking over things at the fort, so there will be the rest of the captains out on patrols until we make our way round." Edith could hear the Commodore talking from the dining room. The conversation stopped as Charlotte moved through the open door, and they greeted her warmly before Edith stepped through the door following her. The men were still standing from Charlotte's entrance and Edith saw that the Commodore's eyebrows furrowed before he smoothed out his expression, Gillette smiled and greeted her casually before taking his seat and making a rather audacious comment how lovely the food looked.

"Edith, take a seat, I'm sure that you'll be wanting to taste what we have spent so much time on." Charlotte smiled widely and gestured to the seat that was next to hers and across from the Commodore. Edith waited for Theodore to bless the meal they were having before daintily taking a bite from the meat that rested on her plate in front of her. The meat tasted no different, but the satisfaction of making her own food and helping Charlotte made it taste even better. The five people who ate around the table did not speak for a short while before the silence was broken by Charlotte addressing Norrington.

"Have you finished the Shakespeare book yet?" she asked politely after she had finished chewing.

"Yes it was rather agreeable; Othello would have to be one of his best works, the intricacies of the book are well detailed and it is tied up wonderfully in the end, it has taken the place of being one of my favourite books." The Commodore agreed after he had taken a sip from his wine.

"Yes, it was rather wonderful." Charlotte smiled before twisting slightly in her seat to face Edith who was sitting next to her. "Edith have you read Othello?"

"Yes I have read it." Edith blushed before continuing in a quieter voice. "it happens to be one of my favourites too."

She did not look up to see the small flicker of interest in Norrington's eyes, but Charlotte did and smiled secretly to herself before turning to her meal.

Soon the meal was over and Edith glanced at the clock that sat on the mantle before sighing and turning to her company. "I really must be going" she said before rising from her seat. "Emma will be wondering where I am." The men rose from their seats and stood as Charlotte followed Edith through the door back to the kitchen.

In the silence of the kitchen, the sound of heavy rain hitting the glass window and Edith grimaced. Seeing as how the woman had walked up to the Groves' residence, there would be no way for her to get home without being thoroughly soaked to the bone and ending up with a fever that would not be the best for her health, especially for a wedding. Charlotte turned to her and bit her lip, a troubled look crossing her face.

"I would not want to impose on you even more than I have, Charlotte." Edith told Charlotte honestly, not wanting her to be offended, but the desire to get herself back to the inn to prepare herself for the no doubt tiring day that was sure to come.

"I understand Edith, do not hold back the words you want to speak, I'm not offended easily." Charlotte paused, smiling slightly before passing Edith her hat. Just before she was about to speak, Edith pushed the hat back from Charlotte's outstretched hands.

"Keep it, it will be destroyed if I wear it now, so keep it."

"I'm sure we can get you back to the inn, Edith" Charlotte said, gripping her friend's hand before dropping it to leaving to the dining room. "Edith needs to get home James. Did you leave Darby out the front?"

Edith blushed and dropped her head, not wanting to see the exasperation showing on her future husbands face.

"Of course, I was thinking of leaving anyway." He said standing up from the table and moving to take his coat from the back of the seat it rested on and placed his hat on his head. The Commodore moved from where he stood behind his seat, and held the coat out to Edith. "Please, put it on. It would not be wise to go out and get sick, especially at a time like this."

Hesitantly, Edith wrapped the large coat around her body, breathing in the musky, yet citrusy smell before checking the pockets in her dress for the bracelet. Satisfied that she was ready to go, Edith looked up at Charlotte before hugging her friend tightly, who whispered in her ear that she would see her before the wedding. Edith gave her a smile before bidding farewell to the two lieutenants before following Norrington through the front door.

Rain pelted down hard and the Commodore stopped Edith under the door way before he moved into the rain, his boots squelching against the mud of the Groves' drive. He then came around on the back of a beautiful horse and jumped down, still holding the reins, leading the horse to the small porch where Edith stood.

The rain was running off the sides of the Commodores hat as Edith hopped onto the horse and sat side saddle, shuffling back so that the Commodore was able to mount the horse himself.

The horse moved un-expectantly and Edith, caught surprised, moved her arms to grasp on something. She then realised that she had placed her hands on the Commodores sides before pulling back and just resting her fingertips on his back. All the way to the inn, it rained constantly and heavily and the coat Edith wore became wetter than she hoped it would. Sighing, she would hate for the Commodore to ride in a wet coat, and just waited for him to stop.

As they made it to the inn, Edith slid off the horse as it slowed to a stop. The Commodore also slid off and grasped the reins and moved them into the dry area that sat at the front.

"thank-you" Edith muttered as she unbuttoned the coat.

"No need to thank me, it is the least I can do." The Commodore said as he accepted the coat back from Edith, their fingers brushing for a few split seconds. "I understand that I will be seeing you tomorrow as well?"

"Yes, I believe so. Goodnight Commodore." She smiled before turning and moving into the warm relief that was the inn.

_~Quasso~_

Edith was rushing, she had accidently slept late and Emma didn't have the heart to wake her, so she had spent most of the little time left trying to perform two tasks at once. She grabbed the box which contained the veil and pulled herself into the carriage, leaving room for Emma who was carrying the large box which contained her dress. Closing her eyes for a few minutes, Edith tried to catch up on some rest, which she would undoubtedly need for the next few days and began preparing herself for the onslaught that would rush from Mrs Norrington's mouth when she would enter the house.

After the carriage rolled to a stop, Edith gathered herself before moving from the carriage, and up the stairs ready to face whatever was going to be thrown at her. Pulling the door open slowly, Edith peeked her head in and looked around carefully before moving in and greeting the butler.

"Where is Mrs Norrington?" she asked carefully.

"I believe she is awaiting your arrival in the parlour." He said before moving from his post at the front door to the parlour doors which he slipped in before opening the door fully to admit Edith and carefully sliding away and closing the door behind her.

"Where were you! I try to organise a wedding and you go off gallivanting around the town as if you were some lower class miscreant! I cannot understand why you would go running off two days before you wedding! And then to find out that you are spending the day with someone from the middle class! Miss Reynolds, it is not socially acceptable for people of our calibre to be seen with those types of people! It is simply astounding that you find it hard to follow the simplest of rules and just be a normal upper class lady! Imagine the scandal that would be caused if you would be caught with someone like that by someone like the governor! When will you learn! I cannot take the full responsibility for the wedding and have to watch you like some governess! You are never to leave this house within the next two days without either mine or the Commodore's consent. Do you understand?" Mrs Norrington screeched as she raged, throwing her hands up in the air and pacing the room, moving to stand right in front of Edith.

"yes, Mrs Norr-' Edith was cut off by a sharp slap cutting across her cheek, throwing her head to the side and inducing a hard stinging pain in her left cheek. She moved her hands to the throbbing pain and gasped, her mouth open wide.

"You will not talk back to me!" she screeched once again. Edith was too focused on the pain to notice the words that Mrs Norrington spoke.

Edith ran through the doors, tears beginning to run down her cheeks and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Commodore standing at the opposite side of the room, his face showing clear shock.

As she slipped out the doors, Edith heard Mrs Norrington call out behind her, "Go get some ice on that, I do not want to see any remains of that on your face by tomorrow."

**Well, this turned out a bit longer than expected… I apologise for any spelling mistakes along with the long wait that has come with this chapter, I've been busy with many things, but I have got motivated to do finish this. Anyways, leave a review on your way out, and don't forget to add this to your favourites and story alerts! Love Libellus x**


	11. Chapter 11

**Such Great Heights Chapter 11**

**I'm back and I'm using my iPad for this chapter of the story as my computer has been given to my brother to replace his which is currently being fixed. Yay. Aside from a few difficulties I'm going to test drive the new copy and paste for fanfiction and I'm really interested to see how it turns out... Anyway. The olympics are over ANSI have no idea what to do with my life now... Apart from school, so this chapter has suffered a bit... But anyways, it will be good, I can guarantee you that. Back to the story, yes people, release your breath and scream to the high heavens, we are finally beginning the wedding! After ten chapters! hurrah! Yes people, the wedding, which will be spliced and sliced so that both Edith and James POV will be seen for dramatic and tense goodness! Also a apology, I can't remember wether I gave the butler a name or not, but I'm not sure so...Thank you to those wonderful people who have reviewed this story, keep on doing it as it means a lot to me and for my muse. Thanks to those who have also added this story to their favorites and story alerts, I love you guys! And yes, there will be more bitchy mrs Norrington, that is my promise to my lovely fans. Review!**

When it happened, it seemed that time had slowed, making the impact even harder for him to watch, even when he had made just that little progress with Edith. James had entered the sitting room, trying to get an idea of the tasks that he would have to complete. It was the day before his wedding to Miss Reynolds and he was hoping to do any last tasks that involved the wedding in any way done, then heading off to the fort where he could hide from his mother and proceed to finish up the final arrangements for the voyage that would take place the day after his wedding.

He entered the parlour, about to ask his mother whether there was anything else that needed to be completed, when he saw that she was standing above Miss Reynolds and letting her know what she thought of the previous day's escapade. He was stunned at the sight of his mother berating Miss Reynolds in such a way that was borderline abusive. James was then downright shocked, enough to make him openly gape when his mother brought her hand down across her cheek, when Miss Reynolds had simply tried to voice her apology. He watched helplessly as his mother continued to berate the poor women before sending her on her way, reminding her that she would need to put something on her face to hide the red handprint which was blooming against Miss Reynolds' milky skin.  
But as Miss Reynolds moved from the room, she glanced at him and what he saw in her tear filled hazel eyes, made his heart throb strangely before she fled the room. She slammed the door behind her, various knick knacks sitting on a table nearby wobbling dangerously as the door shut. James turned to his mother, who was huffing and complaining as she set several boxes in the corner next to the couch, which obviously belonged to Miss Reynolds.

"Is there anything else that needs to be done today, mother? I need to get down to the fort and finish up preparations so that I don't have to go in tomorrow." James sighed quietly, trying to gather the courage to berate his mother for the way she had been treating Miss Reynolds recently.

"No, James. It would actually be a lot better if you just got out of the house to get out of my way. I am very busy today and if Miss Reynolds decides that she wants to come back and continue to prepare, I'll be even busier. That woman is more trouble than she is worth." Idorea bit back sharply.

"You shouldn't treat her so Mother. She has tried very hard to come to deal with her sudden uprooting from England to here. She has also made some friends and I think that she needed a day off from all of this planning so that she could relax." James finally spoke his mind, finally finding the courage to speak up to his mother.

"The precious Miss Reynolds has not contributed much to this wedding expect for an incredibly ugly dress and unhelpful suggestions that would do more harm than good. Despite the fact that she was gone, I believe that I got more work done than ever that day. Miss Reynolds is a lazy woman, who does not care for the whole picture, she only cares for herself. She does not mean anything either, James. I cannot comprehend why you must keep insisting that she is treated like she is the bloody queen." James' eyebrows rose in surprise when she let that curse pass her lips "you must remember that she is here because she is marrying you. She is here because you failed to marry on your own accord and you need to be married so that the Norrington name can be continued for generations to come. She is merely someone who can carry a child and then care for it, nothing special James. She does not need to be treated like you would treat your precious Miss Swann." Mrs Norrington bit back horribly before moving from the room and closing the door behind her heavily.

Sighing, James folded himself on the armchair that was just to the left of him. He knew exactly that Miss Reynolds had simply been brought over all the way from England just so that his mother could have her way and continue on the family name. He did not see himself growing an attachment to her, either. She was a head and a half shorter than him, terribly thin for someone to be considered proper marriage material and was far too quiet and shy for someone who was raised in high society. But despite those faults, James somehow always felt compelled to defend the woman who was so frequently put down by his mother. Absently chewing the skin below his thumb nail as he thought of the tricky plight that he was in, James stood up and left the parlour as he desperately searched for some solidarity before he was married and escorting his mother back to England.

_~Quasso~_

Many thought that Port Royal would be a problem area for the British. That being in waters populated densely by pirates and having many Spanish settlements around Jamaica, which the Brits had taken from the Spaniards, would make it hard for a respectful society to be established. But the odds had been defied and several British colonies had flourished. Many might say that Kingston was the best, with a large port, beautiful setting and strong naval and army defences, but Port Royal had done so much more. Port Royal started out as a pirate ridden colony that resembled Tortuga strongly, with whores and pirates making up much of the population, for a short time the Spanish had called it Manchando. But when the British had gained control of the port, they renamed the Port and began to clean it up. There had not been much progress until the town's governor, selected by the king himself and arrived with one of the Navy's finest new ships, which was to take control of the pirate situation and guard the small community that was growing in the port. But not only on that ship was the governor and his young daughter, but a first lieutenant that lived in the shadow of his father. The governor of the new port had taken him under his wing and together, they worked to make Port Royal one of the most civilised and beautiful places in the whole of the Caribbean. The lieutenant helped the town flourish by working on it as much as possible, and then when the Admiral who looked over naval matters in the town, he found himself as a captain. As a captain, the man not only continued to clean up Port Royal, but also clean the waters of surrounding the town, ridding them of pirates and making many safer trade routes. The tireless hours that he put in and the many lives he ended with a short drop and a sudden stop; had earned him the name of the Scourge of Piracy among those who met to share their stories about the fearless and skilled man and the ingenious plans he made to catch them. All in the meantime, Port Royal had become one of the most safe and beautiful ports in the entire world.

James Norrington reclined back into the armchair that he had brought from his office out on to the balcony. Moments of peace would be very few and far between in the next few months, with the ceremony the next day and then about three months on sea, as well as a routine patrol. The sunlight fell on him as his legs stretched out and touched the edge of the wall, basking in the glorious weather that Port Royal seemed constantly blessed with, even if it was the wet season. A breeze gently shifted the trees and James relaxed to the beautiful noises that the tropics of Jamaica provided. But the peace did not last for very long as the door to his office open and shut quickly, announcing the arrival of two pairs of footsteps.

"Oh look Theo, a Commodore sleeping on the job." one voice above him sounded, laughter evident in their tone.

Cracking open one eyelid, James saw that Andrew and Theo were standing above him and looking down at him. "Is there any reason why you two are interrupting my hard-found rest?" he pushed himself up from his slumped position. Moving his neck, James listened to the creaks that his bones made and suddenly felt very old.

He was one and thirty years, rather surprising for someone like him, being a Commodore for a year and a half was quite achievement at such a young age and being able to keep his commission. He had been promoted to captain when he was five and twenty years, one of the youngest that the British Royal Navy had ever produced, which when James thought about it, was able to boggle his mind at the best of times. But for the past month he felt more like he as the same age of his father, the great stress of the wedding and work at the fort beginning to take its toll on him. James also realised that along with the wedding would become the responsibility for another two people in his house, one who would join the 3 staff he already had. The second person who would take up residency in the house would be Miss Reynolds, his wife. For as long as he could remember, James had lived either by himself with his staff or in the naval barracks when he was a midshipman, but never with a woman who would most likely need his attention.

Pulling himself back to the present, James sat up straighter and looked his two fiends in the eye. "I should have probably asked earlier, but what exactly are you two doing here? If you have come to cause some mischief, I recommend that you take your business elsewhere and find someone else to annoy, as I'm sure I will not be able to tolerate it." he huffed slightly, the muscles in his back straining slightly as he moved to rise from his comfortable position in the chair.

"We were merely coming to ask if you would like to spend the rest of the day at my residence, James" Theo said "Charlotte is anxious to have you over and see you before the wedding. Also we have to celebrate the last night of being Port Royals most eligible man-" Theo was cut off by a sharp nudge from Andrew as he spoke

"-who I'm sure will leave many ladies weeping at tomorrows ceremony." Andrew suggested cheekily and with a rather large smile.

"Indeed" James breathed under his breath. "Well if you insist, there is not much to be done here and I'm sure that if anything happens you two will be right on top of it, the consequences of disturbing a Commodore who was working hard." James said dryly as he placed his coat back on his shoulders from where it rested on the back of a chair.

_~Quasso~_

Dinner had winded up with Andrew and Theo making many inappropriate jokes about the upcoming nuptials and how he would be tied down to a woman along with the never ending joys of marriage, until Charlotte had cut in sharply and told the men that enough was enough. James gave her a small smile and took a small sip from the glass of brandy that was sitting in front of him.

"But Charlotte, it's his last night as the most eligible bachelor in Port Royal, he has to enjoy himself!" Andrew argued after downing a whole glass of brandy in one gulp.

"Yes and I'd much rather spend tonight with my friends enjoying time with them, not getting drunk and turning up to my wedding drunk unlike you- yes I am looking at you Andrew - and not turning up to my wedding in a hungover and in a sorry state." James was starting to become irritated with his two friends, his tiredness from a busy and stressful day finally catching up with him.

"Theo, I believe that you and Andrew did not finish your chess game from last night, how about we finish it before you set out to sea?" Charlotte suggested gently, rubbing her husbands shoulders from where she stood behind the couch where Groves sat.

"Ah yes!" Theo exclaimed " James you missed quite the match last night when you returned Miss Reynolds back to the inn last night. Lucky for you, we weren't able to finish the game, so you can witness my crushing defeat of Andrew, who is becoming unbelievably cocky after he beat you last month. "

"May I remind you that you only have 1 bishop and are missing two castles, plus I believe that your queen is in extreme danger." Andrew bit back as they moved to the board and began to set up the pieces on the board from obviously whee they had been left from the night before.

All conversation then stopped as the two men took their seats on either side of the board and began to make their moves, playing their different strategies,much like a naval battle. Charlotte came and curled herself up on the couch next to James and watched the two men with interest.  
There was a long silence before anyone spoke while James watched the game with interest. Andrew was playing on the offensive, trying to get as many of Theo's pieces as possible, while Theo defended. It was interesting to watch them play as James would nearly always beat them and they gave good competition against him, so it was always engaging to watch the two of them play as they were at the same level.

"James" said Charlotte softly and out of the blue "how is Edith? Did she get home alright? Was your mother angry?"

Norrington hesitated on the answer he was going to give Charlotte. Would it be best if he told her and let her know about the way that his mother had been treating Miss Reynolds, or just let it go and tell her that she got home fine and nothing had happened at all? While he thought, he also took into account the friendship that Charlotte and Miss Reynolds seemed to have formed ever since the ball that celebrated their engagement. He did not doubt that they weren't friends, especially when she had spent the day at the Groves residence rather than with his mother.

"She got back to the inn fine, albeit a little wet." James started softly, focusing on the flickering candlelight on the chandelier above him. He had rode home wearing the coat, and he could remember a very flowery and feminine scent being impressed in the material among the rain and citrus. "But as I left to go to the fort today, I walked in on them having an... discussion." he paused for a few seconds " Mother wasn't very happy about the fact that she had not been at the house all day to work on finalizing plans for the wedding. Edith was then merely trying to apologise to mother, when she struck her." James winced as he heard Charlotte gasp sharply.

"Are you sure?" Charlotte gasped as her delicate hand flew to cover her mouth. A small tear leaked from the side of her eye and James turned his head slightly to see that Andrew and Theo had stopped their game and we looking at James with disbelief in their eyes.

Nodding his head, James turned and stared at the dark floorboards, almost hanging his head in shame. "Is this true James, is your mother really that horrible? I thought she was bad, but not that bad." Theo asked with shock evident in his voice.

"Yes, she has been rather horrible about the whole wedding situation and she seems to always focus her anger on Miss Reynolds. I believe yesterday may have been one that broke her." James said, looking at his two friends up from under his eyelashes.

"And you did not say anything about it James?" Andrew said leaning forward, any sign of his joking from before vanishing from his eyes as he leant forward.

"I was not really aware of it until this morning, I expected that if anything happened that Miss Reynolds would come to me herself if any problems arose." James said, only being able to look at Charlotte. Looking at his other fiends made him feel guilty for knowing that his mother was saying unneeded thing to Miss Reynolds. He should of done something earlier, being the often revered Commodore of His Majesty's Royal Navy based in Port Royal, but he ignored his mother, only lightly reprimanding her. And the more he thought about it, he could have said more in the morning, and also seeking out and apologizing to Miss Reynolds after she had vacated the parlor.

"Oh James" Charlotte sighed as she rubbed his arm. " I'm sure Miss Reynolds will forgive you, everything will get better, sooner or later." I hope it does James thought as he watched Theo and Andrew resume their game, but not with as much ferocity as they had before.

_~Quasso~_

James awoke to the sound of heavy rain pounding on the windows of his bedroom. A rumble of thunder rolled across was followed by a quick flash of lightening and James pushed his head into the pillow and groaned. It seemed that Port Royal had turned on its best weather for the wedding, and James was not looking forward to it, as his mother would be in an atrocious mood. It was still dark, only about 4 in the morning according to the small clock that sat on his bedside table. He was not expected until 6 which by then his mother would be gone to begin getting Miss Reynolds ready, so he decided that another hour of sleep would not go amiss. Listening to the rain, James drifted off to sleep.

"James, James, time to get up. Your mother wants you to take a bath and begin getting ready. We have to be at the church in three hours." James' sleep was disturbed by his father who had opened the door and stuck his head inside. Groaning and feeling very much like an adolescence, James rolled from his bed and stumbled around his bedroom, looking for his bath robe which had moved from its original spot on the corner of his cupboard. Opening one of the curtains, James noted that it was raining steadily and grimaced slightly before pulling the curtains back to light the room.

Seating himself in the bath that was in the adjacent bathroom from his bedroom, James slipped his head under the water, and staying there for a few moments. Surfacing, he lathered himself in soap and began methodically scrubbing himself down, noticing that the bath had been scented with some sort of lavender. Once he was sufficiently scrubbed down, James grabbed his razor and a small hand mirror before he carefully shaved off the beginnings of a beard. Once clean shaven and just clean in general, James rose from the bath and wrapped a towel around himself and using another to dry himself off. After putting on the necessary undergarments, James moved back to his room where his butler was waiting patiently.

James did not have to worry about wearing anything different, as he was the commanding officer over the town, he would be wearing his dress uniform to the ceremony rather anything else that his mother could dream up. He pulled on the ornate waist coat followed by the belt that would hold his sword and usually his pistol. His shoes were next, polished to a fine shine and then finally the heavy dress white and blue dress coat, which was not best for the Caribbean conditions. He would put on his wig and hat to the last minute before he left for the church, after he had breakfasted.

Moving down the stairs, James found his mother half way to a melt down, screeching at servants and those who were getting ready for the reception that was to be held at the house after the wedding. "Oh you are finally up! About time! Now go get something to eat and then I want you heading up to the church half an hour before the wedding and not a second later." Nodding, James went to the dining room were platters upon platters of food sat on the table, along with the mail and documents from the fort.

After a beautiful breakfast that consisted of tropical fruits from all around the island and toast, James removed himself from the dining room and went to wait in the parlor for his mother to leave. Pulling a book from the shelves, James settled himself in an arm chair facing the windows so that he could keep an eye on the weather.

"James, come to the foyer and say goodbye to your mother." Idorea called from the general direction of the foyer.

Sighing and pulling himself up from the comfortable chair, James marked his place in his book and placed it on the side table, having every intention to come back to it. His mother was waiting in the foyer, already dressed to the nines in a green dress that would compliment his fathers navy uniform, along with several large diamonds and jewels hanging from her neck, ears and wrists. Her hair had been twisted into a knot at the back of her head and was held in place with several pins which had emeralds embedded into the metal.

"Oh, don't you look so grown up, my little boy! About to marry and continue the proud family that is the Norringtons." she exclaimed as she brushed the lapels of his jacket with her hand and inspected it for any lint that may have caught in the fine wool. "Do go up there and make the family proud, though you have already done so much for this family by being one of the youngest commodores in the history of his majesty's navy. Now I have to go and prepare Miss Reynolds, so try not to be late, is that alright darling?" she asked before kissing him on the cheek and letting her hand trail down his face. She did not even wait for an answer as she left through the door, the footman of the carriage opening an umbrella for her while 5 maids carried boxes as they trailed like lost sheep behind her.

_~Quasso~_

"Well Andrew, if anyone was going to be fashionably late this morning I would have expected the bride, rather than you." James said dryly as he glanced at the gold pocket watch in his hand before snapping the lid closed and placing it back in his pocket. Him, Theo and now Andrew were standing at the back of the church in small room next to the one the priest was getting ready in, preparing to get ready for the ceremony. It was still raining and most of the roads around Port Royal had been turned muddy and wet, despite the cobblestones, which was causing a lot of chaos as carriages sometimes tended to get stuck in the mud.

"I'm sorry James, still a bit under the weather from last night and assigning me a early morning patrol with the marines was just cruel." Andrew bit back at James while he fixed the cuffs of his shirt.

"You were the only reliable lieutenant that was at the fort at the time that I arranged the schedule and I also was not aware of the wedding while I drafted it." James said as he straitened his cravat and inspected himself once more in the mirror. "I believe there is fifteen minutes before the bride is due at the alter, so shall we be moving gentleman?"

Receiving two brotherly claps on the back as Theo and Andrew walked out before him, James swallowed and followed the two men out of the small room and into the back of the church where very few people were entering, seeking out somewhere to sit. The two of them pushed open the large doors that opened up into the church and held them as he passed.

What he had not expected was the sheer number of people in the church, despite the fact that it was absolutely pouring outside many people had actually turned up. He had made mother promise that it was going to be a small affair with only a few guests who were close to the Norrington family. But as he walked down the aisle, he recognized many faces from his childhood back in England, friends of his parents who had made the effort to make the trip either from England or from Kingston. Many naval offices and marines filled up the church as well, watching their commanding officer with great respect as he walked past. And as James got towards the front, he saw many people who were involved with Port Royal, such as the tax collector and the local judge who helped him with many naval cases that went to court on the island.

James stood on the alter and turned to face the rest of the audience who he had not seen yet, such as the many people who stood at the back and sides of the church who looked like locals who were genuinely interested in the marriage of the commodore. His father sat in the front row, with an empty seat for his mother next to him. He also noticed that charlotte was sitting on Edith's side of the church, in the aisle seat as one of her main supporters.  
But as James then turned his eyes back to where his father was sitting for some indication of what time was left before they would start the proceedings, he noticed that just behind his father was the governor and Elizabeth, who was not accompanied by the Turner boy. As he stared at Elizabeth, he felt a light fluttering in his stomach and it increased when she looked up at him and gave him an encouraging smile. Giving a half smile back, James continued to subtly stare until the governor, who was waving and looking like a proud parent distracted him from Elizabeth, causing him to blink rapidly.

Was it sinful to be thinking of another woman who was not to be your wife on your wedding day? James pondered as he moved his stare to the bricks above the heads of the even larger crowd gathering. Either of them weren't married yet, so it couldn't be considered sinful or adulterous, and on the most part, especially for James it was just wishful thinking. Miss Reynolds was very average compared to Elizabeth and you could not help but choose Elizabeth over the former. It was almost-

James was pulled from his thoughts by Andrew gripping his coat slightly as he caught sight of his mother moving down the aisle, nodding up to James, before taking a prayer book from under the seat.

As the organ began to play a tune that was familiar to many, for so many different reasons, James turned his attention to the doors at the back of the church which directly faced. Slowly, the doors opened as much of the crowd began to whisper amongst themselves.

**Well that's it for this chapter. A bit short, but I think it is pretty good for a first time typing a whole chapter on the iPad. The rest of the wedding will be completed n the next few chapters so bear with me people as I try my best to get the next few chapters up. I'll go back and fix thismup if there are any remaining problems with this chapter becase of the ipad and copy and paste feature for . Don't forget to leave a review on your way out people! Review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Such Great Heights Chapter 12**

**Hello my faithful readers. Today I bring you the wedding chapter of Such Great Heights. Yes! Be excited! I had such a great time writing this chapter. Anyway, few things I need to clear up in this chapter. When it comes to English society weddings, there is not much information on them, so I have taken a few liberties and added in bits and pieces, with such things as the dress, veil, flowers etc. Don't shoot me please if there are any inaccuracies, but may I remind you that this and potc are fictional stories and liberties are allowed to be taken. Now when it comes to the wedding vows, there was little to no information, so with some help, I found the vows that they would have said in Jane Austen's Emma, and they are quite nice so they are the vows and other stuff in the way that a 18th century wedding is conducted, even if Emma is set a hundred years later then potc. The vows are from the English Daily Prayer Book, so I was running from vows from that. Moving on to other things. Thank you to those who have reviewed the story! It means so much to me and your continuing support is inspiring and keeps me writing! Thanks to those who have added this story to their favorites and story alerts as well! You people out there are amazing! Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to all of my lovely fans and I hope you enjoy the last chapter from Miss Edith Reynolds POV! Few thing went wrong with the editing so excuse those mistakes because my iPad refused to fix them which was rather annoying, but they are just thoughts. They are in inverted commas and just my page break isn't centered like usual, please excuse the mistakes. X Libellus.**

"Miss Edith, it is time to get up." Edith heard as Emma gently shook her shoulder, rousing her from a deep sleep. She could tell it was early in the morning, her reluctance to get up even more pronounced than it usually would be. Groaning into the fluffy pillow that the inn provided, Edith pulled herself up from the bed, pushing her hair from her face and pulling on a bed jacket.  
Emma opened the curtains to her room and Edith nearly wailed at the sight that was before her. Rain was falling thick and fast with wind howling and blowing the palm trees that lined the waterfront to unnatural angles. Ships moored in the water wobbled dangerously as the wind blew them and leaves and tree branches flew around in the wind. It was possibly the worst day a wedding could be held on, making Edith even more reluctant than she already was. She would have to put up with a moody Mrs Norrington who's attitude would most likely match the terrible weather they were blessed with, and also marry a man who she did not even know, let alone love.

"It seems that Port Royal has put on the best of its weather for its esteemed Commodore, hasn't it Emma?" Edith murmured darkly as she wrapped the bed jacket more firmly around her and picked up the cup of tea that was sitting on the table beside her bed.

Emma turned from where she stood at the closet, a tight smile on her face. "Do not be so upset Miss Edith, just think that tomorrow Mrs Norrington will have finally left the island and you can try to continue normally as best as possible." She said, trying to make the situation somehow better. Edith gave her faithful friend a smile before sitting at the table where a large meal of toast, bacon and eggs. "Do try to eat some, we have a very long day today and there will most likely not be an opportunity to have something to eat until the reception after the wedding." Emma added as she pulled a dress from the closest and placed it on Edith's bed.

"I know, I know. Emma, will you be attending the wedding?" Edith asked curiously as she continued to stare out of the window dispassionately.

"I don't believe so, Mrs Norrington wants me to move your belongings into the house during the wedding so that everything will be there for when you return. I believe she also wants me to help get everything ready for the reception." Emma smiled sadly as she moved the tongs that she used to curl Edith's hair from where they rested on tiles in front of the fireplace and into a box which she then put the lid on.

"But Emma, you're the only person who I want to attend! You have been the constant person by me for such a long time, and you can't even come to see me get married!" Edith cried as she washed her hands and face in the small bowl of water on the vanity.

"I would come if I could Edith, but I cannot ignore the orders from Mrs Norrington, even if you do dislike her so much." Emma sighed as she continued to gather things.

"I know, Emma." Edith sighed as she took a seat at the vanity.

The room then fell into a comfortable silence as Emma brushed Edith's hair, before braiding it gently down her back, in a style that was not generally acceptable unless they were not heading out. "Mrs Norrington wants us to get ready at the back of the church, so we'll just get you dressed and then we can be off to the church." Emma said quietly as she rested her hands on Edith's shoulders before moving and picking up a light dress.

After Edith had dressed, Emma disappeared for several minutes as she moved the various boxes that they would need as they got ready. Emma returned soaked and Edith felt a pang of unneeded guilt making her walk to the carriage in the rain. Smiling sadly as she stared at Edith from the doorway of the inn, she pulled open the door and allowed Edith to place her oil skin coat on her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head. Running to the carriage, Edith pulled herself in, throwing away all propriety and launching herself in and then turning to pull Emma in. Edith threw her head back and laughed as the carriage began to move, the laughter making her feel lighter than she had in weeks. Emma shook her head at Edith but was smiling too, as she turned to look out at the weather that was not letting up at all.

Once they arrived at the church, Edith pulled the hood of her coat back on her head and clutched the sides together so she would not get too wet and Emma could work with her hair and not have too much trouble. When they entered the back of the church, the priest greeted the two women jovially and then showed them to the room where they would be getting ready.

A large fire burnt in the hearth and Edith moved towards the warmth, placing her hands out in front of her and warming them up. "Miss Edith, if we want to be ready on time for the wedding we must begin getting ready now." Emma said after she had brought in all of the boxes from the carriage which now sat on the table next to the vanity.

After changing into her shift and placing a dressing gown on, Edith sat on the chair in front of the vanity and watched as Emma carefully curled her hair, leaving large curls that bounced whenever she moved her head. She then had them pinned up and was then placed in the steaming bath to the back of the room. Edith scrubbed herself and then poured the scented lotion into the bath and gently washed her skin down.

Once she was out of the bath, the laborious task of getting dressed and presentable began. Emma placed a shift on, which was then followed by an ornate corset with lacings on both the front and back. As Emma tightened the laces, Edith took a deep breath and braced herself against the vanity. The pressure on her ribs added to the weight that Edith already felt was upon her.

The more she pondered it, the more Edith realised that she was not ready to get married. She was not ready to rid herself of the little freedom she had as a woman who was single and give her life and time to a man. She did not want to spend her time indoors all day and became a doll for the Commodore to pull out at every party and to pass around the room. She would not love Norrington, because the situation they were put in left no room for love, only for the reproduction of children and an uncomfortable life together. The thought being locked up in a cage like a bird for the rest of her life made her feel terribly lonely and she could not help the tears that escaped her eyes. "Now, we are yet to finish sewing this so once you are just about ready to go we are going to- are you alright miss?" Emma asked with concern once she realised that there were small delicate tears rolling down her mistress' cheeks.

"Yes, Yes. I'm fine Emma, we must continue getting ready." Edith replied as she wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled weakly at Emma.

"If you insist." Emma murmured as she gathered the dress and then helped it over Edith's head. Once it was over her head and her arms had been pushed though the sleeves, Emma began the long task of buttoning the long row of small buttons from the middle of Edith's lower back up to the back of her neck.  
Edith moved her hair from her back when she felt Emma's fingers work their way up and bowed her head forward when she made it to the back of her neck. She then sat down in the vanity watching as Emma carefully began to place lip paint on her lips. The two women worked in silence until the silence was shattered by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Edith called from her seat as Emma pulled back.

"Charlotte" the voice called back from the door.

"Oh, come in!" Edith called. The door opened and Charlotte gasped as she set her eyes on Edith.

"You look so beautiful, Edith. And you are not even properly ready yet!" While Charlotte commented on her dress, Edith blushed and thanked her for her compliments. Suddenly Charlotte stopped gushing and dropped the joyful expression that she wore, her face turning sad as she gazed at Edith through the mirror. Almost whispering, Charlotte turned to Edith and stared at her with the saddest expression that Edith had ever seen. "Is it true that Mrs Norrington struck you yesterday?"

Edith's mouth gaped as she tried to find words that expressed how shocked she was that Charlotte found out that she had been struck. "H-h-how do you know?" Edith stuttered as Emma looked on with outrage.

Charlotte looked at Edith with pity before quietly replying "James told us last night."

Tears rolled down Edith's cheeks for the second time that day, the betrayal hurting her deeply. What happened the day before was not Norrington's story to tell, let alone anyone except her. She also felt ashamed that now people knew that Mrs Norrington had been treating her horribly.

"Edith it's alright" Charlotte comforted, wrapping her arms around the other woman "James told us because he was concerned for you. He wouldn't have told us for any other reason... He does care for you, despite the circumstances."

Suddenly Edith felt guilty, she was aware that someone who was not her maid or new friend cared for her, and that did not change her stance on the fact hat Norrington could turn out to be exactly like his mother. People could put on a facade, leading her to believe something that wasn't exactly true. And Edith knew from experiences that she had with various men before she came to the Caribbean, that men could be very sly and deceiving, and get what they wanted. With that in mind, Edith knew that Norrington could turn out to be exactly like that and that played on her mind heavily.

"Charlotte" Edith breathed quietly to her friend " is it wrong for one to be attached to a man and not love him?"

The woman in questioned moved back from where she held her friend, a look of confusion etched on her beautiful face. "Do you mean...?" She asked softly.

"Yes... I do not think that after everything that has happened... I can't" Edith was on the verge of tears again.

"I'm sure he will understand. James is-" Charlotte was cut off by the door opening and bouncing off the wall.

Mrs Norrington stood in all of her cruel glory, her hair pinned up in a way that made her sharp face appear even more severe than usual. A long gown of a garish orange colour swirled around her body and countless diamonds decorated her neck, wrists, fingers and ears. "You" she said snapping her fingers at Charlotte "out".

As Charlotte left the room she mouthed 'good luck' to Edith before gently closing the door behind herself. Wiping the stray tears from her eyes, Edith stood and faced Mrs Norrington, a brave mask replacing the hopeless look from moments previous.

"Why are we not finished getting ready yet?" Mrs Norrington asked, turning her glare on Emma, who had begun to busy herself hastily, moving Edith from her seat onto a wooden stool set on the floor in the middle of the room. Emma began sewing the last bits of lace to to the hem of the dress, making sure the thread wasn't visible on the cream dress. Edith twisted her hands nervously in front of herself, her wrists cracking with the movements.

Mrs Norrington received the shoes that Edith was to wear from their box among the large pile and placed them on the floor. "Let us hope that you can walk in these and not manage to embarrass yourself as you walk down the aisle." she remarked snidely as Emma cut the bit of thread which she had knotted and moved to place the shoes on Edith's dainty feet.

Adjusting to the unnaturally high heels, Edith shuffled her feet as she watched Mrs Norrington circled her critically, as if a sculptor was evaluating his work. The clink metal reminded Edith that she would need to step down and let Emma place the jewels that she was to wear on her. She felt a cold presence around her neck and she leant back slightly to let the small pendant that was a delicate diamond be placed on her collarbone. Emma then moved around her and wrapped the bracelet that had been the gift from Charlotte on her right wrist, along with another bracelet that had been passed from bride to bride in the Reynolds family. A pair of small diamond earrings were placed in her ears and Emma began to place the lace veil that would cover her face on the encrusted comb that would slide into her hair.

But before Emma was able to place it among the curls of Edith's hair, Mrs Norrington stopped her by saying "You will return to do that. I want to speak to Miss Reynolds." Emma nodded, before setting the long veil on the table and quietly exiting the room. Rounding on Edith with a severe face Mrs Norrington's voice changed dramatically from sweet to fierce. "Today, you will be on your best behavior, there will be no speaking when not spoken to, no ruining the name Norrington and letting Commodore Norrington do everything, because he is a man and you are not. Understand? Any shenanigans from you will be punished and I'm sure you will be regretting it. I do not care for anything apart from this ceremony going smoothly so I can finally leave this place that they call a town." She sniffed "in about ten minutes the ceremony will be starting so I expect you to be ready." The woman then opened the door and swept from the room in a flurry of skirts. Edith stood there standing and looking at the door dumbly before Emma stepped back in silently and went straight to work, sliding the comb into Edith's hair. Once it was secure, Emma began placing the lace over Edith's face, arranging it gently so that it covered Edith's face.

Looking in the large mirror in the corner of the room, Edith stared at herself, wondering how she went from living in a modest house on the outskirts of London about to be married thousands of miles away on a Caribbean island. Her dress was a creamy color which was lined with a darker cream lace, which laced up her back to points of being impossibly tight, a little cleavage was shown, but not too much to show that she was no longer a maiden. Matching gloves went to her elbows where the sleeves of the dress cut off and lace moved daintily when she moved her arms. The jewels that she wore around her neck, wrist, ears and finger glittered in the light provided by the small window. Staring at herself intently in the mirror thought the veil, Edith saw that Emma had never made her look as beautiful before, the small amounts of makeup making her look delicate and graceful. Her hair had been curled and then pinned on top of her head, with blue flowers weaved in among the brown curls resting on her exposed collarbone and cascading down her back. The veil was long and came to her waist on the front of her body while the back sat a meter behind her on the floor, serving as a long train.

"Miss Edith, it is time to go." Emma gently reminded Edith from where she stood several paces behind the bride. Edith turned and gave her maid and friend and a watery smile, the tears returning again for the third time that day. "Oh do not worry miss, it won't be that much of a change" Emma said, standing next to her mistress.

"I know Emma, but I am still scared." Edith whispered as Emma gathered her into her arms, being mindful of the delicate dress, jewels and hair.

"Everything will be alright... Oh come on Edith, we must not be fashionably late!" Emma exclaimed as she glanced up at the clock and then rushed to grab the bouquet of white roses and lilies. Edith clutched the bouquet as if it were a life line and looked up at Emma with another small smile. "Something old is the dress, something new is the engagement ring, something borrowed is the bracelet from your friend Charlotte, something blue are the flowers in your hair and a sixpence in her shoe." Emma rattled off as she went to the small bag that she brought out a coin and then knelt and lifted Edith's foot from the shoe and placed it in the toe.

"Oh Emma, you didn't have to." Edith breathed "that is your money."

"That is my gift from me to you. Now go out there and be the envy of every woman in Port Royal." Emma said before grabbing Edith's hand and pulling her out of the small room and standing her in front of two large and imposing wooden doors. With a small smile and a mouthed good luck, Emma turned from her friend and went back into the room where they prepared for the wedding and closed the door behind herself.

Feeling utterly alone, Edith took a deep breath and gathered herself before pushing the large door open.

_~Quasso~_

The large door creaked as Edith pushed it with her gloved hand and the sound of an organ began to play. Pushing the door open further, Edith took one last deep breath, calming herself before she began the long walk down the aisle. Placing one foot in front of the other in a careful pattern so that she she would not trip on the fabric that floated around her feet, Edith walked and kept her head down to avoid the stares of the attendees who had twisted in their seat to get a glimpse of the bride. As Edith approached the altar, mrs Norrington gave her a sharp look from where she sat closest to the commodore on the inside of the aisle, giving her a sharp look before turning around. Sighing behind the veil that covered her face, Edith took the Commodore's hand from where he had stepped down from the altar to help her up the steps.

Having no father available for the ceremony really disheartened Edith. Despite the fact her father had sold her off to a man who lived in the Caribbean, she still would have loved to have had him at her wedding supporting her and being the one too hand her other to Norrington, instead of her having to do it herself. Admiral Norrington had not offered to do it and there had been no one else really who Edith would have felt comfortable walking down the aisle with.  
Edith glanced up around her as the priest began welcoming those who had filled the small church to watch the marriage between Port Royal's great Commodore and a quiet, delicate flower from England who no one had really met. The chapel was brimming with people, filling all of the seats in the church and leaving some to stand along the walls up the back. Many were dressed in naval uniforms, standing rigidly, while others were quite obviously members of Port Royal society, dressed in their best dress for the occasion. Many other people just looked like to be those who had either worked with the Commodore in some way or another, or had just turned up out of pure curiosity. Edith turned her gaze to those who sat in the front rows of the pews, making sure to avoid Mrs Norrington's eyes at all costs. Charlotte caught her gaze and smiled at her softly, and Edith noted that she was sitting by herself and gave her a slightly confused look, Charlotte then nodded discretely to where Groves and Gillette stood behind Norrington. Turning her head, Edith saw that the governor and his daughter sat in the pew behind the Norringtons and was smiling largely at the Commmodore.

Realising that no one apart from Charlotte was really there for her, Edith sighed quietly, but not quietly enough as the Commodore turned his gaze on her for a few heart stopping seconds before looking back at the priest. Resigning herself, Edith turned her gaze from all of those in the church to watch as the priest began to preach on how a marriage should be greatly achieved.

"At which day of Marriage, if any man do alledge and declare any impediment, why they may not be coupled together in Matrimony, by God's Law, or the Laws of this Realm; and will be bound, and sufficient sureties with him, to the parties; or else put in a Caution (to the full value of such charges as the persons to be married do thereby sustain) to prove his allegation: then the solemnization must be deferred, until such time as the truth be tried." The priest spoke to those who had congregated in the chapel.

The priest then turned to Norrington who was now directly looking Edith in the face, his expression serious as the priest began speaking after a short break "Wilt thou have this Woman to thy wedded Wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?" the priest asked Norrington.

"I will" he answered confidently, deep baritone resounding across the silent congregation.

"Wilt thou have this Man to thy wedded Husband," the priest began as he turned to face Edith "to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

"I will" replied Edith shakily as a tear ran it's way down her face.  
Norrington then gathered Edith's right hand in his as they stood, her not having anyone to give her away, meant that she would give herself away and continue straight on with the ceremony.

"I Commodore James Norrington of His Majesty's Royal Navy take thee Edith Reynolds to my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth." Norrington repeated after the priest, his voice still managing to ooze confidence as he spoke.

It then came Edith's turn to repeat the vows " I Edith Reynolds take thee Commodore James Norrington of His Majesty's Royal Navy to my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth." she whispered shakily after the priest, tears trailing down her cheeks.

After Edith had said her vows, the priest then turned to Lieutenant Gillette who pulled a plain gold band from his pocket and placed it on the copy of the common prayer book before handing it to Norrington. Grabbing her left hand gently, Edith watched as Norrington slid the ring on her fourth finger, above the engagement ring while repeating once again after the priest.

"With this Ring I thee wed, with my Body I thee worship, and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen" once Norrington was finished speaking, she gathered the skirts of her dress and let Norrington help her down so that she could kneel while the priest said his prayers.

Edith was now officially married. Forever. It was very much frowned upon in society if a woman left her husband and the pressures from the horrible Mrs Norrington would be keeping her from ever leaving the Commodore. She was bound to him, forever to do what he wished like a dutiful wife and too never betray him or commit adultery. Tears began to run down her cheeks again, silently sobbing as the priest continued to pray for fertility and to Rebecca to bring happiness to the marriage. She then stared at her left hand, where the thin gold band lay above her engagement ring, the representative item of their unity, which would forever stay there until death did them part.

After they had received communion from the priests and sat down for private prayers Edith looked up at the unusually ornate stain glass window and prayed from the bottom of her heart. 'Dear Lord, please look over me as I continue with this new adjustment period, please look over my husband and keep him safe while he is at sea and look out for all those who in are in a time of need.' Edith bowed her head once more before standing again at the end to once again hold hands with Norrington.

"Presenting Commodore James and Edith Norrington." the priest announced as the whole congregation rose to their feet to congratulate the couple. Edith ducked her head at the applause and blushed slightly before looking up to see that Charlotte was clapping and then stopping as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Commodore you may now kiss your bride." Edith's eyes widened as Norrington gently lifted the veil from her face and placed it over her head, falling down gently, as he moved his head towards hers. Panicking, Edith turned her head, succeeding in having him kiss her cheek rather than her lips. The Commodore moved back and stared at her for a second before offering her his arm.

Taking the proffered limb, the couple stepped gently off the alter and then down the aisle, to the cheers of delight of those who had attended the wedding. Edith's spine shrunk as she tried to make herself smaller as they walked out of the church, underneath guard of rifles and bayonets formed by marines from the fort. Sighing at how much the wedding was related to the navy in which Norrington- no her husband- worked for, Edith stepped up into the carriage, pulling her dress in behind her awkwardly. The Commodore then climbed in, letting out a deep breath before knocking on the roof of the carriage, their eyes met for a split second before Edith averted her gaze to the scenery that was now rolling past them.

This was the beginning of a new and miserable life for Edith Norrington née Reynolds.

**Was it good? If you think so, leave a review and tell me what you think! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! X Libellus.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Such Great Heights Chapter 13**

**Hello friends. Another chapter has been completed as we come to one of the major points in SGH, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter for you guys. It is the longest I have ever published and it gives me great joy to post it. Its nearly spring holidays here for me, so hopefully there will be quicker updates but i cant promise you guys anything, but i will try my best! Thank you to those who have reviewed, added this to their favourites, or put this story on alert. I must say I was rather disappointed with the small amount of reviews I received for the last chapter, so I urge you to leave your feedback so I can improve on my writing and now your opinions about what you think of this story. Now enough from me, enjoy the chapter!**

James peeked a look at his new wife from the corner of his eye. The poor woman looked miserable as she stared out of the window of the carriage, tear tracks marring her face, the beautiful attire she wore making her look even worse. She sniffled, before shooting a worried look at him which he dodged skillfully, looking out of the window. The ceremony had been very draining, with his mother constantly looking at him and mouthing words of warning for both him, but Miss Reynolds. '-wait, no she is not Miss Reynolds anymore, but Mrs Norrington.' James thought quickly as he realised his blunder when it came to referring to his new wife.

Sighing quietly, James turned and looked at the all familiar scenery of Port Royal. He had memorised every nook and cranny of Port Royal, where the best places were to watch the sunset and magical beaches with golden white sand that stretched on for what seemed forever. He would sometimes go to one of those deserted beaches and just enjoy the peace they held far away from the busy fort at which he seemed to spend to of his time at. Palm trees would help begin the forest that led into a beautiful tropical wonderland filled with exotic birds and flowers that would bloom in every colour. Waterfalls would be hidden behind thick trees and the crystal clear water was cool and inviting. When James had first come to Port Royal, he spent many of his hours away from the fort exploring the deep jungle with Theo and Andrew, who were both still midshipmen at the time. He knew most of the island like the back of his hand, knowing every hiding place and every possible place where he could move the naval forces and the townspeople if pirates managed to overrun the town. But he was rather doubtful of that, no pirate would get into Port Royal unnoticed... The only time that had occurred was when the Black Pearl had snuck in under the cover of rather dense fog.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, James looked at his wife once again, who was watching the scenery intently from the other window of the carriage. He looked at her, taking in the small jewels that she wore and the simple style dress she wore, along with the beautifully elegant hairstyle her light brown hair that was nearly blonde was weaved into. It seemed that his wife was a woman who did not want the garish things in life. She did not wear gaudy jewelry or have a latest hairstyle that looked as if someone had built a birds nest on her hair. Whenever James saw her at his house, the dresses she wore were simply styled for someone of the upperclass. He noticed that Edith was also wearing very little face paint, which was something unusual.

As the carriage pulled up the drive onto his property, James straightened his coat and hat, licking his lips nervously. He had no idea how to be a husband, he only had two loves before, the sea and Elizabeth. Making a woman who barely knew comfortable in his house would be a challenge, especially one who he knew that disliked him and his mother. After the carriage had pulled to a stop, James pulled himself up from the seat on the carriage and exited, thanking Matthew, the footman who worked for him. Turning around, he grasped his wife's gloved hand, feeling the coolness of the two rings on her left hand and helped her down from the carriage, gently tugging out the rest of the wedding dress material.

The small amount of staff who worked for him stood in a line at the front door. He noticed that Edith's maid was standing at the end of the line, beaming at her. "Edith these are the people who work in the house. This is Mary, who is the cook along with being a maid." he said gesturing to a plump woman with greying black hair, who smiled at them gently while bowing. He then gestured to the man who stood next to Mary "this is Marcus, my manservant and who also helps around the house." Edith gave the man a weary smile as she bowed. "Matthew is the footman and also is the gardener, but he is giving up the position so you can continue to work with plants and add your own touch to the garden." James then turned to Edith's maid before giving her a small tight smile "welcome and thank you for joining the staff so willingly." The large front door was open and James led his wife through the doors.

"Well..." he started awkwardly "I'm sure you know most of the rooms in the house, but if you head down the hallway from the library my office lies there." James then began climbing the stairway towards the top floor of the house.

Turning right at the top of the stairs, he walked towards the half of the house that was not used as much, and the room that Edith would occupy, along with all of her belongings if she did not want to sleep with him. Pushing open the wooden door, James gestured for Edith to enter her new quarters. The walls had been painted a sea blue in colour, which green swirls embossed into the paintwork. Cream paint lined the windows, the skirting boards and the doors that led out onto the balcony. Looking thought the glass doors, James knew that he had given his new wife a sweeping view of the Port, along with a generous view of the beautiful forests that surrounded Port Royal. The furniture was a dark wood and the cream covers of the bed pulled the room together. Flowers stood in vases on the vanity, on both tables beside the bed and on the bureau, making the room smell pleasant with the mix of roses, jasmine and lilies. James could not say that he had decorated the room himself, he had chosen it, but Mary and Matthew had painted it from its old white colour to the beautiful blues while Edith and his mother had begun preparations. They then had brought new furniture for the room that had previously never been used, and Mary decorated the room herself with flowers that Matthew had cut.

"These are your rooms, your maid has moved your belongings into the draws and wardrobe. If you need anything do not hesitate to ask either myself or one of the staff." James said, looking everywhere but his new wife. "We are both expected at the reception in an hour. Your maid will be coming up in a few moments if you wish to freshen up." James bowed before leaving his wife in the doorway and moving through the house back to his rooms on the other side of the house. He pulled his hat and threw it unceremoniously onto the chair in the corner of his room, his coat soon followed it as he took a seat on his bed.

The wedding had been nothing that he had ever dreamed of. The hollow words that neither bride nor groom meant, the forced formality between them which had always been a constant reminder the neither spouse would love each other. The vows had been cold and impersonal, forcibly said as James pushed the ring onto Edith's finger, symbolizing that she would be forever his and no one else's. James removed the wig from his head, untie his hair from the queue at the name of his neck before running his hands through his hair. Now would come the reception, the painful hours of socialising with those whom he did not normally socialise with. It would be forced smiles and laughter, along with dance with the bride for the first dance and partake in all of those silly marriage customs that people like his mother insisted on. Shifting his gaze from where it rested hopelessly on his feet, James looked out the window and at the continuing rain, which streamed down in steady patters against the side of the house. The weather had not improved one bit and would prevent him from escaping into the garden if things got too awkward.

_~Quasso~_

James waited up the top of the stairs, hearing voices float up through the stairway from the foyer and ballroom. Meticulously straightening the cuffs of his jacket, James watched as his mother marched up the stairs, bunching the skirts of her dress in her fists. He gave the area around himself a sweeping glance, checking if his wife was anywhere near his,other, who still hadn't completely forgiven her for the day she spent at the Groves'.

Mrs Norrington stopped at the top of the stairs and grabbed James' face in her hands. "You looked so very handsome up there James. You have done our family proud, finally marrying and into a good family, even if your wife is far to rebellious for her own good. Your father and I will not be spending the night here, we'll be in the inn for the night. I'm sure you know what I expect, if you don't, I remind you that need to complete your marital duties and in no more than ten months I expect the news of a grandchild." Idorea smiled at him before straightening the lapels of his jacket, but when she looked behind him and over his shoulder, her face turned severe.

"Well, both of you are expected downstairs to meet with those who came to the wedding. I don't want you keeping the crowd any longer." James followed the sharp look that his mother shot Edith and bit his lip before offering his arm to her. After she had slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, James gently led her down the stairs, stopping her every so often so she could regain her balance in the heavy wedding dress she still wore.

After their feet had touched the marble floor, the large crowd broke out into applause, all moving towards the couple to wish them well. James glanced at his wife who was biting her lip anxiously and looking around the room, her eyes flitting around erratically. James tightened the arm that she was hanging onto gently, which caused her to look up, and then gave her a slight smile before leading her over to where Theo, Charlotte and Andrew were waiting.

Charlotte smiled as they approached and then rushed forward to give Edith a hug. "You looked so beautiful!" she gushed. James smiled to himself before turning to Theo and Andrew who were watching the scene with amusement.

"Are we prepared for tomorrow morning gentleman?" James asked in the tone that he usually reserved for when he was on the ship.

"Of course Commodore." Andrew said smartly as he flicked a mock salute at James. "And are you ready to be looking after this beautiful woman who is your wife." he laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Edith and Charlotte turned from their conversation to listen to what Andrew was saying. Charlotte began laughing and turned from hugging Edith to holding her husbands hand, while Edith watched with wide eyes, not sure how to respond. She then blushed and turned her head towards the ground and James watched carefully, raising his eyebrows at Andrew.

Theo coughed before looking behind him "I think that there are a few people waiting, we can speak to them later." He said before gently leading Charlotte and Andrew away. James sent him a look of thanks as Edith straightened up and turned to greet the people who were waiting behind their friends.

The Governor smiled gently at James before greeting both him and Edith, who replied politely and started a conversation with the kindly man. But James did not pay any attention to their conversation as he greeted Elizabeth. She was as beautiful as always, her honey blonde hair styled so that it hung around her face gently, making her look elegant. The dress that she wore was of the latest London style, hugging her slightly curved figure gently, making her look every part of the beautiful Governor's daughter role that she played. She wore fine jewels of the highest quality around her neck and wrists,but they were nothing in comparison with her her beautiful brown eyes that shone in the light.

"Congratulations James." she said breaking his train of thoughts. Elizabeth smiled at him, sending the strange fluttery feeling through his stomach and he found himself unable to quickly formulate a response. "Edith is a very beautiful woman."

"Thank you, Elizabeth" James managed to speak finally.

"I understand that you are leaving Port Royal tomorrow morning to escort the ship that your parents are taking back to England out of Caribbean waters?" the Governor cut in and for the first time, James noticed that Edith had been watching him with intelligent eyes as he talked to Elizabeth.

"Yes, we are. But we cannot help the fact that the ship leaves for England then and also the fact that mother wants to return home." James said turning his attention from admiring Elizabeth to the Governor.

"Terrible luck isn't it? Getting married and then cast off to sea the next day. I can imagine what it would be like, leaving such a beautiful young woman behind you at home."

"Quite" replied James tersely.

"Do you think that your new wife will be fine all by herself, James?" the governor asked as he leaned in closer as Elizabeth and Edith engaged in their own quiet conversation.

"I do hope so. I'm going to leave her responsible for the garden so she can work on that and I'm sure that she'll find other activities to keep herself occupied with some of the other ladies of Port Royal." James replied.

"Well the best of luck to you James. Enjoy the little time that you have with your wife before you leave." the Governor gave him a kindly smile before calling Elizabeth and leaving the couple.

Rubbing his brow, James continued on with the introductions, slamming on the commodore persona that he used when associating with those who weren't close to him.

_~Quasso~_

The sun was beginning to set behind the dark clouds that still lingered, dropping short spurts of rain every ten minutes or so, making the sky a eerie mix of dusty purples and pinks. The smell of rain was permeating the air, making the atmosphere stuffy and humid and in the large crowd gathered, condtitions were not ideal. The afternoon had been spent socialising with those who had attended the wedding which included short speeches from Norrington's parents, Andrew Gillette and the Commodore himself. Now those who were lucky enough to be invited to the grand reception were beginning to sit down and have the meal provided for them, which would lead into a night of dancing and celebrating the union between the Commodore and his new bride. The commodore and his wife had spent most of the afternoon talking to well wishes and introducing the bride who had only been in Port Royal for a month to those whose was surely to come across.

Now James Norrington sat on a raised table, looking over the guests who sat at three very large tables with would be shifted to line the walls when the dancing begun. Next to him, his bride delicately ate from the plate in front of her, spending more time gazing at the food on her plate rather than eating it. Turning to his own meal, James listened as his mother tittered from her position next to Edith about how old the fashion was in Port Royal. He placed his utensils gently on the plate and placed his hand under his chin. The next twenty four hours would be some of the busiest in his life, the end of the party, then the things that usually occur on a wedding night and finally in the morning the departure of his ship from Port for five months. Those five months would not be some of the longest times he had been away from home on naval work. He had lived in Bombay, India for several years when he was a third and second lieutenant working under his original captain before returning to England. He had thoroughly enjoyed India and when the opportunity came to go to Port Royal, an exotic place in the West Indies which was in desperate need of a clean up, he jumped for the chance to explore another corner of the world. So the five months to the new world was not that much at all.

"Brooding are we James?" Charlotte said as she smiled from her seat which was two down form his own, Theo and Andrew had disappeared leaving her sitting by herself at the end of the table.

"Not at all Charlotte" James said with a slight smile, running his eyes as he watched the hired men move the tables from their position in the middle of the floor onto the sides.

"Are you thinking about today?" Charlotte asked with concern sweeping over her soft features. "Edith is very nervous. I don't think she likes big crowds, even in England. And then there is your mother James. You should have seen how she reacted when I told her you told us about what happened.

"How did she react?" James questioned as he leaned forward.

Charlotte looked caught, her blue eyes wide as she obviously thought about something very hard. "She... She did not like the fact that you told us what happened and that people knew. Did you know if she had been struck before?" Charlotte threw the question to him quickly.

"No... But mother has never treated her right. She embarrassed her at a dinner that we had with the governor by saying that women should only be allowed to do indoor activities such as embroidery instead of gardening. I told her to not be as rude to Edith, but she did not listen obviously." James explained to Charlotte quietly as he shifted from his seat at the middle of the table to Andrew's.  
Charlottes face turned to horror as she watched James explain. "Edith never told me that." she gasped.

"I don't take Edith as one to go telling people about the problems that she faces behind closed doors." James said, not wanting to go any further into the speculative gossip.

Charlotte hummed in agreement before turning to where the musicians had begun gently playing. "I believe this is when the husband takes his wife up for their first dance as a married couple." Charlotte hinted subtly as she nodded at Edith, who was looking at the ceiling of the room, a faraway look in her eyes. James nodded before removing himself from the chair and going to stand by Edith's.

"Would you join me?" he asked as he held out his hand for her.

His wife bopped her head in agreement, before rising from her seat and brushing the skirts of her voluminous skirts of her wedding dress. She then took his hand and James led her out to the center of the dance floor, where he stopped himself for a moment and collected himself, before placing one of his hands on the small of her back and the other gently clasping her fingers. He gave her a moment to adjust before nodding to the orchestra that was assembled before gently leading her through the steps of the waltz. James watched his wife as they danced, her chin held high as she carefully followed his steps. He did not care for dancing, he often found the past time terribly hard and confusing, despite the footwork was very much the same he used when fencing. He was not very good at it either, as a lanky midshipman he found it hard to keep his legs from tangling and he often tread on his partners feet. But as he danced tonight, he found that rather than concentrating on the amount of steps that he should take with his left foot, it would be more interesting to see how his wife reacted.

There was a reason why James constantly tried to read his wife. James was the type of man who would have no problem figuring out what a persons strengths and weaknesses were, what type of person they are and what they wanted most. That what was probably what helped him become a commodore quickly, his ability to read people, along with the gift to be able to act very cool in stressful situations. But when it came to reading his new wife, he found that she was very closed when it came to facial expressions, always nearly being on guard. She was an enigma, a puzzle that James could not seem to work out. There seemed to be more to the quiet woman who carried herself in a dignified way. More to her than her delicate daintiness and the fact that she enjoyed gardening outdoors over embroidery any day. And James was determined to see what was behind that stoic mask. But the fact that she was not probably the most willing person to be apart of the marriage, meant that James would have to find another way to reach the woman.

Edith certainly held his interest, but Elizabeth still held his heart in an iron grip.

Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts of Elizabeth that came to his head whenever he thought about her, James focused his mind back on the task, safely guiding his wife to the edge of the dance floor as the music began to wind down. He pulled away his arm away from the small of her back and then watched as his mother and father took the floor. Edith gave him a searching look before turning her gaze to the floor and placing her hands at her sides. James watched on as his parents began to finish up their dance and head towards them.

"James, aren't you going to dance with your mother?" Idorea asked as she caught her breath.

"Of course and Edith will be dancing with father I assume then?" James asked as he watched his father come and take Edith's hand uncomfortably.

"Yes of course! We must not have her being a wallflower in an event that I have planned so that both you and your wife are recognised as Port Royals most influential couple." Idorea nearly cackled as she finished of speaking before tugging her sons hands and leading him non to gently to the dance floor.  
James turned round to see Edith being uncomfortably led to the floor by his father, and pursed his lips and let his mother position his hands before the music began again and the dancing would be commenced.

_~Quasso~_

Taking a sip from the glass of expensive red wine that rested in his palm, James watched the various couples on the dance floor, which included his wife and Andrew, who had won her over with a small joke and a large smile. Andrew was surprisingly good at dancing, better than Theo or himself and had no problems with dancing at all. Trying to catch his wife's gaze, he noticed that her face was tired and beginning to look less alive. James was feeling very much like her, but thankfully the party was starting to wind down, with people getting ready to leave. Soon they would have to begin thanking the guests and then moving on with the nights other tasks.

Once Edith and Andrew had finished and Andrew had brought her back to James, the couple went to the bottom of the stairs in the foyer and began farewelling their guests. When Andrew, Theo and Charlotte left, both men shook his hand and bowed to Edith while Charlotte hugged edith tightly, whispering something in her ear before letting her go gently. After going to kiss her hand, James was engulfed in a large hug, and whispered words floated into his ear.

"Treat her well James." Charlotte whispered cryptically before pulling away and searching his face, only looking away when he nodded, slightly confused.

After the trio had pulled away, James and Edith continued to farewell the leaving guests before the last people had moved on from the night. Relieved that finally the long day was pulling to a close, James pulled Edith up the stairs, hoping to have a conversation about what was to occur in a few hours.

Deciding that it was best to start off the conversation James asked " how did you find the night?"

"It was fine, sir." his wife whispered as she turned her gaze to the ground.

"Sir is too formal, I insist that you call me James." James insisted as he bit his lip, wondering how to continue the conversation in the awkward direction he wanted- no needed it to go.

"Yes" she whispered again.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, James looked to his new wife and then spoke, trying not to trip over his words. "Will you er... be joining me tonight?"

Edith's head snapped up at breakneck speed, her hazel eyes widening. "Oh, um... if you wish." she said once again quietly and beginning to curl into herself.

"Well... if you wish to go get... prepared... I'll be waiting in my quarters." James said awkwardly before watching his wife walk away quickly. He then turned and headed down the hallway that led towards his bedroom. On the other side, he saw his mother move towards where his wife's quarters were located.

Shaking off the thought, James opened the doors to his quarters and began undressing and changing into the light shirt and breeches that he wore to bed, just in case of a pirate attack and he needed to look proper enough to leave the house in a short amount of time. Once changed, James poured himself a dram of scotch before quickly tossing it back to help calm the nerves that were rising in his chest.

James Norrington was very rarely nervous. There were the occasions where he was nervous for his crew, during tense moments in battle or waiting in silence. But as he waited for his wife, he was nervous. James had never been with a woman, ignoring his friends when they went to the more promiscuous areas of London when he was a boy, being more partial to books than to women. The lack of experience unsettled him, and also the whole mechanics of a wedding night, put him on edge. Running a hand through his hair, he looked in the mirror and quickly looked away, unwilling to unsettle himself anymore.

Half an hour later, a small knock sounded on the heavy doors that opened to his bedroom. James answered the door and opened them, letting his small wife pass through them where she stopped in the middle of the room, examining the contents.

While Edith examined the paintings on the wall, James examined his wife. She was a head smaller than he was, the top of her head just rising above his shoulder and very small boned. She looked almost frail, her bone structure was that small and the skin pulled sharply over the exposed collarbone. Her hair had been let down, flowing like a waterfall down her back and the flowers in her hair had been weaved into a wreath that sat on the top of her head. All of the face paint she wore earlier had been removed and her face was clean, a faint scent of jasmine drifting from her. On her shoulders lay an open robe, which revealed a short nightgown that just touched the tops of her knees and showed quite a bit of cleavage. Pulling his eyes away from the small breasts, James redirected his thoughts to looking at his wife's pale skin that was a rich creamy colour, which was beginning to lose its creaminess to a light brown. Following her arms down, he found that the only pieces of jewelry she wore was the wedding ring and the engagement ring.

"Are you sure?" James asked as he looked into his wife's eyes.

"Yes" she whispered shyly, her eyes casting towards the ground.

Taking that, James gathered up the courage and took a deep breath before gently pushing the dressing gown from her shoulders. Eyes roaming over the milky skin, James grabbed Edith's hand and pulled gently her in the direction of the large bed. The wreath of flowers was pulled from his hair and fell from the side of the bed. The wreath rolled around for a few seconds before falling still.

_~Quasso~_

A decent amount of time later, in the peaceful quiet of the house, a small grunt echoed from the bedroom, before a louder cry in a mans voice piercing the silence in the house.

"Elizabeth!"

**Oh you people hate me. I thought this was a rather excellent cliff hanger to leave you, my faithful readers and reviewers on. So I beg you to please leave a review, as I find your encouragement inspiring and a beautiful reason to write. Review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Such Great Heights Chapter 14**

**I am so sorry for the long delay in the making if this chapter. I thought I was going to be able to pump out a heap of chapters, but it has taken me six long weeks to get this up. I apologise from the bottom of my heart and I cannot say that this is my best chapter, but I have tried as hard as possible to have it up to my usual standard. Things will start moving in the next few chapters and hopefully I'll have those chapters up soon with lots of reviews. Speaking of reviews, I love you people and you make my day, but I only got 2 reviews on the last chapter that was one of my longest chapters ever. So I hope that you guys are beautiful people and send me heaps of reviews for this chapter. Also if there are any mistakes, I apologise, most of this was written on my ipad and there may be some stupid words or mistakes. So enjoy the next chapter lovelies and I'll see you at the next update... don't forget those precious reviews! X libellus**

**Edit 27/10/12: I have edited the chapter after deciding that the ending was not right to James' personality and would have no legitimate way to explain it in the coming chapters. I apologise to all of those fans I may have upset with that part of the story, I hope that you will continue to read. On another note, I have decided to put this story on hopefully temporary hiatus. This chapter will be the last until at least mid-December as school for me is coming to a close for the year and I need to focus more on my studies rather than on this fanfiction. I will be back soon and writing, but you will have to be patient with the updates.**

Edith lay in her bed, but not in the one she shared with her husband earlier in the evening. It had been so very uncomfortable, the whole experience of having ones virginity taken, and the gentle throbbing between her legs was an unneeded reminder of what had happened. She had moved from her husband's quarters, after he had rolled over, sated from the strenuous activity and dressed again in her shift and dressing gown before rushing back to her bedroom. There she had pulled the covers down from the bed, throwing the decorative cushions on the floor before jumping onto the soft mattress and trying not to cry.

She had watched her husband as he interacted with the guests at the reception. When he spoke with most people, the iron mask that he wore was firmly set on his face, barely showing any emotion and being the emotionless Commodore of Port Royal. But when Elizabeth Swann and her father had approached them, the mask drifted off and was replaced with a half heartbroken, half loving look. Edith continued to watch him talk with her while also talking with the governor and she noted the way Norrington behaved differently and analysed everything she saw. Edith saw that his emerald green eyes lit up and he smiled more than he had all day. She did not know what history he and Elizabeth had, but it seemed that at least once in the past, Norrington had loved her. Her stomach twisted and knotted but Edith ignored it in favour of continuing her conversation with the Governor. Edith continued to watch him for the rest of the night, not in a obsessive sort of way, but in a more in sort of analysing way. She just wanted to see how he acted around others and then compared it to the way he spoke with Miss Swann.

By the end of the night Edith was able to confirm that undoubtedly her husband had loved Elizabeth Swann at one point in his life.

The scariest part of the whole wedding ordeal came next. The guests had left and the house was nearly empty, save the servants and the Norringtons. On the stairs on the way up to their respective bedrooms, her husband had asked her if she was going to be joining him. Behind him just below them on the staircase stood Mrs. Norrington, who despite several bottles of wine was looking incredibly sober and had her trademark scowl resting on her face. Out of fear of being punished by her mother in law, Edith agreed without thinking before turning around and quickly walking to her quarters.

Relieved to see Emma waiting in the corner of her room, Edith made her way over to her and began to take off her heavy dress. Once the heavy material had been lifted from her body, a knock sounded at the door and Edith barely managed to throw a bed jacket over her corset before Mrs. Norrington opened the door.

"You are getting ready to spend the night with my son tonight?" she asked as she haughtily took in the features of Edith's room. The blue walls were now a deep blue, unlike the sea green blue they were earlier in the day, and the cream cast a whole calming effect on the room.

"Yes ma'am" Edith whispered back as she wound her arms around her body.

"And I trust that you are going to fulfill your marital duties tonight?" Mrs. Norrington asked harshly.

Knowing that marital duties meant giving herself to her husband, Edith nodded meekly, before blushing heavily.

"Well, I hope to hear that you have fulfilled your duties in the morning." And with that, Mrs. Norrington swept from the room.

Once the door slammed shut, Edith's panic began to rise and her heart began thumping loudly in her chest. Emma removed the bed jacket from her shoulders and started to undo the corset which was finally releasing its pressure on her ribs. Taking a deep breath, Edith then turned and watched out the window as the rain came in heavy, beating the glass doors repeatedly.

"Your mother included this among your possessions before we boarded for the voyage. There was a note from her that this was to be worn on the night of your marriage." Edith turned on her heel to see Emma holding a box in her hands. Edith gently lifted the lid and placed it on the bed before pulling the white garment from the box. The chemise was incredibly short and would fall just short of the tops of her knees when she wore it. Delicate lace was used on the sleeves as well as making up much of the short skirt; it also adorned the front which gave a generous view of ones cleavage. It was very scandalous as well as being a present that any mother would have given her daughter to spend her wedding night in. Sighing in resignation, Edith pulled the ordinary shift she was wearing over her head and placing the more scandalous one on. Examining herself in the mirror, Edith cast a doubtful look over her small frame before seating herself and twisting the two rings that sat upon her fourth finger. Emma gently began pulling the pins from the style in Edith's hair, along with the remaining flowers that had stayed there.

Edith watched as her hair feel from its prison of pins and fell past her shoulders to where it brushed against hips. It was what expected of her, to only have her hair pinned up when amongst the public and then having her hair down for when she was alone or with her husband. Emma then began to brush it methodically before letting the strands go and placing what looked to be a wreath of flowers upon her head. She allowed Emma to gently remove the face paint she wore with a hot towel and then place the gown she usually wore over her sleeping clothes on her shoulders.

Standing up from the seat, Edith wrapped her arms around her maid and friend, gently squeezing before pulling back. "Thank-you" she breathed quietly before hugging her again.

"Are you scared, mistress?" Emma asked after a long period of silence.

Taking in a slightly rattled breath, Edith replied with a small amount of courage "quite so."

"Don't worry, everything will be alright. Your mother did tell you about what happens on a wedding night, did she not?"

"No" Edith squeaked, the fear now more evident in her voice than anything else. The only thing that Edith knew about the wedding night was that she was going to join her husband in his bed for the night. The ladies who Edith knew had husbands did not talk about what happened in their house apart from their newest embroidery they completed or their knitting.

"Oh Edith, I'm sure Commodore will be kind to you. He seems like such a gentle man." Emma whispered in an assuring voice, but it did nothing. "I believe that you may want to begin making your way to his quarters." She suggested gently before placing the robe on Edith's shoulders and then giving her a fond look as she walked away.

The house was completely quiet, everything had been cleared and the servants had gone to bed, with the only noise being the grandfather clock which ticked from somewhere far down the hall. Silver light filtered in through the lines in the curtains, casting ominous shadows and making the halls look narrow and cold. Edith made her way silently to the door which her husband had directed her to earlier in the day and then knocked on one of the heavy wooden doors.

Ghosting through the doors, Edith looked at her husband for a moment before turning her head to the paintings that hung proudly on the walls, showing beautiful scenery that could have come from any island in the Caribbean. She stood still and continued to focus her gaze on the paintings when she noticed that Norrington was looking at her rather intensely. He let her examine her before he spoke, his deep baritone filling the room.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he caught her gaze.

Knowing that it was her duty as a wife, no matter how little she knew, she would have to answer the affirmative and fulfill what was expected of her. "Yes" she whispered back, dropping his gaze and focusing on the wooden floors. There were a few tense moments before Norrington reached out and pushed the gown from her shoulders and arms, his roughened fingers brushing against Edith's skin. Those fingers ran down her arm and then enveloped her small hand in his larger one and then gently pulled her towards the bed. Edith let herself be pulled and watched with large eyes as her husband removed the wreath of flowers from her hair and then dropped it on the ground beside the bed as he pulled her down.

~Quasso~

He had been gentle but that did nothing to stop the pain from leaving. The whole motion of being touched and entered where she had never considered before was disconcerting and as she tried to find some sleep, she could not stop thinking about it. But probably the most disconcerting event of the night was the name her husband called just before he rolled off her and into sleep.

Edith was not dull or an idiot, she knew that no one would call a strangers name at the end of an activity like the one they had just… well, Edith did not know how to describe it, but she did not think it was the norm. But the name he called rang a bell within Edith's mind. According to Charlotte, who knew the name of nearly every person in Port Royal, there was only one with the name Elizabeth who would be the appropriate age for Norrington. And that was Elizabeth Swann.

Hurt blossomed in her chest as Edith rolled onto her other side and stared through the small gap in the curtains. She did not know much about her husband, he was a guarded and closed man whose secrets and passions he would only reveal to those closest to him. But what she did know, and this was only through implication by Mrs. Norrington of all people, that her son had quite the history with Elizabeth Swann. That night at the dinner that they had shared at the governor's residence was when Mrs. Norrington made a comment about Miss Swann marrying a blacksmith. No woman would be so bitter, or rude, over something like that which had absolutely nothing to do with her. She had also noticed how the commodore looked a bit uncomfortable and the dinner that had resumed not long after was awkward. Edith remembered that night clearly, because it was when Mrs. Norrington had embarrassed her for the first time in public when she berated her habits of reading books and enjoying gardening. She had been mortified, but the kindly words of the governor and Norrington afterwards who had apologised for his mother's behaviour, had calmed her down a bit and made her feel better.

But as she lay on the bed, gentle blue moonlight and the sound over the waves gently lapping the beach, Edith desperately wanted to know why her husband had called her name, a burning curiosity began to burn and there was no way she was going to put out that fire until she learnt what had happened between the governor's daughter and her husband. Feeling her eyelids finally get heavy, Edith wrapped the large duvet around her body and snuggled deeper into the sheets, her last thoughts being of the mess she would possibly face in the morning for not spending the night with her husband and maybe failing in her duties. But she brushed those aside when her eyelids finally closed and she departed the land of those awake to the land of where people dreamed.

~Quasso~

That night Edith woke up twice before dawn and both times she spent the small amount of time conscious trying to assure herself that the dream was not real. The dreams that Edith dreamt were vivid, her drowning in crystalline Caribbean waters. She could not pull herself up to the surface, a long dark blue dress pulling her down every time and stopping any progress she made. After her vision had gone black, Edith would then find herself standing in the parlour at Norrington's house. There was no one else in the room apart from her and there was an eerie silence that hung in the air, the wind rattled the house making the exquisite glass windows shake. Glancing out the window, Edith saw that winds shook the house and thunder rumbled across the sky, causing her to jump. A window then shattered and Edith immediately ran to the other side of the room where her legs collapsed under herself. But before she could hit the floor, a strong set of arms had gripped her arms before pulling her up. When Edith turned to look at the man who had caught her, she caught a flash of emerald before she turned the other way and tried to escape the room. None of the doors would open, stuck stubbornly in their frames. Edith turned to her husband, whose eyes were cold and dark, before she tried to run again.

"You can't escape. You're here forever." He said cold eyes flashing as his hand gripped her upper arm, tightening threateningly. "No matter what you try you will never be able to leave. Tied to me forever, never able to escape, little bird."

Edith lowered herself to the ground, raising her arms in front of her face as her husband raised his hand. Before she could feel the force of the blow, Norrington pulled his hand away and turning to another woman who had ghosted in through the doors. He pulled the woman close before bending his head down and kissing her passionately. For a strange reason, hurt blossomed in her chest but before she could try to figure out why it hurt, a strong wind blew through the house, reminding her that the windows had a large hole through them. Edith turned away, bunching her dress up in her fists, heading towards the broken window where she could jump out of and escape. But as she ran, she found that her feet were not cooperating with her movements as Edith made no progress in her running. It was then that she came face to face with the one person who she would not want in her nightmares. Mrs Norrington stood over her, standing at a height that made Edith feel like one of the lady beetles that she found in her garden. "Why do you run? Can you not see that it makes no difference? People do not want to help you, I'm sure they would much rather watch you suffer in an oppressing household where you husband would much rather spend his time with other women, even lowly whores, than watch you try to flourish in a world where no one will love you." Mrs Norrington then completely covered Edith in darkness, leaving her silently screaming.

~Quasso~

Edith woke in a cold sweat, her hair sticking to her forehead and gasping for breath. She lay for a few seconds, staring up at the canopy above her and calming her mind that was running rampant all over, reminding her that she was safely away from the demons that haunted her dreams. A small sideways glance out the windows suggested that the sun was about to rise and small rays were breaking over the horizon. She pushed the cover of her bed back before running a hand through her hair and moving off her bed and to the desk where a few of her favourite books on gardening had been placed. Running her fingers gently over the spines of her precious books, Edith gently smiled and pulled it out, pulling open the pages and letting the pressed flowers and leaves she had collected fall from the book. Edith picked them up from the small desktop and run her fingers over them, familiarising herself once again with the flowers that she and her father had collected from all over England. Her father, being a successful merchant who owned many shops all over the world did not spend much time with her and then most of the time he did, which wasn't much, he would join his daughter in the garden showing her flowers from all around the world and the showing her how to press them in books. That was what brought her into gardening in her teenage years and often she and her father would take walks in their gardens and just talk.

"Oh. Mistress Edith, what are you doing in here?" Emma asked when she came into the room, clasping her hand to her chest. When Edith gave no reply, Emma quietly spoke up again "is something wrong."

"No. Yes. I honestly don't know Emma. I just don't know." Smiling softly, Emma pulled one of Edith's dresses from the cupboard and placed it on the bed.

"I was just going to go get you so we could get you ready. I understand that you'll be seeing Commodore Norrington off at the docks this morning?"

"Yes, I suppose I shall be." Edith sighed in reply before stripping off the obscenely short shift and placing a cleaner, more appropriate one on. She then helped Emma place the dress over her body and then sit down so that she could style her hair for the day. Watching as Emma twisted her hair up quickly not bothering with an elaborate style, Edith thought of the consequences that she would suffer for not remaining with her husband for the night. Hopefully Mrs Norrington would not catch wind of it and that she would be able to send her husband off in peace and spend the five months of quiet she had trying to adjust to the life of being a wife. She noted the dark shadows that sat under her eyes and then dismissed them quickly, finding that there were more important things to worry about.

Once Emma deemed that Edith was presentable to be seen and she was satisfied, Edith gathered her hat and wrapped the ribbons around her arms. She placed the pressed flowers back in book and slipped on her shoes and gloves before leaving the room and heading towards the dining room. She could hear feet pacing the floor, too light to be Norrington's, heels tapped and Edith's eyes widened when she heard the voice.

"The audacity of that girl! Why did I see her as someone who would be suitable for someone of your stature and standing, it is not like we can do anything now that the paperwork is done. You'll just have to bear with her James, she could not be that hard to ignore, especially if she leaves you in the middle of the night." Mrs Norrington was saying as she continued to pace. "The only thing you'll have to do is make sure you produce an heir, but that shan't be too hard, she seems very eager to please, despite some of her actions. Children do not take much to rai-"Mrs Norrington cut herself off, looking up at the stairs as Edith descended. "Oh good morning." She said in a falsely sweet voice.

Edith smiled back, trying to hide the apprehension that she felt when Mrs Norrington looked at her, her green eyes burning into her skin. "Good Morning Madam." She said, twisting the two rings on her fingers and turning her gaze to her husband who was waiting by the door. He looked indifferent, his face a cold mask that showed no emotion while he stood with a straight back and his hands folded behind his back. She knew she would have no help from her husband dealing with his mother and then replied to her next query.

"Did you have a restful sleep?" she asked smirking.

"Quite, thank-you" Edith replied politely as possible, trying not to clench her hands to stop the sweat from soaking her silk gloves.

"It is quite curious though…" Mrs Norrington said pausing for a moment before continuing. "That you come from the opposite side of the house instead of where your room that you share with your husband is. Don't you think so?"

"I had to retrieve my gloves and hat from my room." Edith replied in a small voice, dropping her gaze. There was a tense moment of silence that filled the room as Mrs Norrington loomed over her in a similar way that reminded her of the dream. "Emma forgot to place them in our suite and I just remembered so I went and fetched them." She added quickly, beginning to place her hat on the top of her head and tying the silk ribbons.

"Oh is that so?" Edith nodded quickly as she noticed the change in Mrs Norrington's voice. "I actually know for a fact that you did not fail to fulfill your marital duties, but you did not spend the night with your husband."

"But I did do my duties as a wife." Edith cried weakly, fear once again taking hold. She trembled, her hands coming up to her chest as she tried to calm herself and better the situation.

"That is no excuse for running off in the middle of the night to your own bed when you should be spending the night with your husband!" Mrs Norrington nearly roared in return.

"Mother-" Norrington tried to make his voice heard in the argument.

"Be quiet James!" Mrs Norrington interrupted her son. " I came all the way to this little port in the middle of nowhere so I could organise a wedding, which you" she spun around and turned her glare on Edith again " have taken completely for granted. You should be paying for the whole occasion but my family and I have instead. You have taken the whole process completely for granted and given me nothing in return, not even loyalty to your new husband."

"I'm-" Edith tried to explain.

"I do not care if you're the queen! Your disloyalty towards me and your new husband has been atrocious. Running off a few days before your wedding with some middle class housewife to gallivant around town and spend the night at her house. It is beyond disappointing that you think you can get away with anything and not get caught. I only chose you in England because the ladies of higher class were not willing to go and your lovely parents decided to send you with us. I should have done more research and looked into other ladies, because so far all you have proved is a dishonest, disloyal and very much from lady like. A lady who lived in the slums of London would be better than you!

"I simply cannot understand how your parents were proud enough of you to see you fit to marry one of the most recognised Commodores on the sea. You are undermining and are unfit to be married to such a man. What type of woman enjoys reading and gardening? Surely not one who is to be married into such society, you are abnormal for enjoying those activities as most normal ladies enjoy embroidery and music. You are not to let the public know that you do these activities as it could tarnish the shining reputation of the Norrington family and maybe I would have to do something I may regret in the future. I can assure you that if you fail to fulfill your duties and fail to become pregnant with a healthy male heir, that you will be cut from the family and bring such disgrace on your maiden name that the rest of your family will go into hiding. And if I ever hear of you doing anything that emphasises the fact that you are a whore, I will personally make sure that you wish you were never born.

"To be honest, I cannot wait until I leave this island! There is nothing here apart from you and your petty problems that you have. The people here are dull and those who lead the town, especially that governor, are completely incompetent! I care about my son and if I ever hear anything that is not good coming from this island, I will make it my mission to pull him from service in these islands and bring him home to England, leaving you here." She snapped before turning to her son.

"The ship leaves in an hour and a half, correct? Well, I'll meet you there then… as well as you Edith." Mrs Norrington departed with a swirl of her skirts and the slamming of the front door leaving Norrington and Edith standing awkwardly.

"Do you need anything? Would you like a cup of tea?" Norrington asked as he stood next to her.

"Cup of tea, please." Edith whispered before smiling at her husband and making her way into the barely used parlour.

As Edith took a seat delicately on the chaise lounge and reflected on hopefully the last time she and Mrs Norrington were at odds with each other. The remark hurt Edith. She could not count how many times Mrs Norrington had insulted her and called her a whore when she ranted and raved. Pain ran through her chest as she thought of all of the hurtful remarks that Mrs Norrington made about how she acted and the way she conducted herself. Despite the outer bravery that she showed, sometimes it honestly hurt and made her feel like one of the loneliest people in the new world. But she thought that it would do no use to be a wife who complained about every insignificant problem. Though there was still an incessant niggling in the back of her head reminding her of what her husband had yelled in the darkness of the night.

The man in question came through the open door with two cups of tea and placed the one in his right hand on the table top near Edith's knees. She gave him a look of gratitude before turning to her tea, taking a gentle sip. The tea was exactly the way she liked it, a dash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar, and she savoured the hot liquid before letting it run down her throat. She looked over the lip of her cup and at her husband who had seated himself in the armchair across from the chaise lounge. The room was tense and quiet, the silence deafening in a strange way.

Finally the niggling in the back of Edith's head become too much and she had to let it out. "What is your connection to Elizabeth Swann?" she asked in a rushed whisper, feeling better once the words were out.

"I don't think that is nothing of your business." He replied warningly, something Edith missed.

"It's just that I have heard people talking about the fact that you were engaged to her. Many people asked me if I knew about it." Edith replied quietly.

"That is true." He replied evenly.

"And the whole story of the cursed pirates was true?" Edith once again asked quietly, her hand moving to her hair when she felt the tension rise.

"Yes that is also true." His voice was still deadly calm, the kind that implied that something worse was going to happen.

"And Elizabeth Swann turned down your engagement?" she asked again and once again he replied the affirmative again.

"Did you love her?" Edith whispered quietly, thinking about the dark night in bed that had caused her so much pain and the pain that was still somehow remaining in between her legs.

"That is none of your business and you should do well not to ask any more questions." He replied in a harsh voice that she had once heard the day when Charlotte and she were in the main street of town and he was supervising marines doing one banal task or another.

In a fit of teenage likeness, Edith replied to his statement without thinking about her words before letting them escape her mouth. "You cannot order me around like I'm one of your men. Despite what you may think, I am your wife."

"And as my wife, you are to obey everything I say, no matter how headstrong you are." He said with a poisonous sting in his voice before turning on the heel of his shoe and walking out of the parlour, the tea cups forgotten on the side table.


End file.
